The New Supernatural
by TheBeautifulMzHyde
Summary: I love Supernatural. I had taken the storyline from this season and messed with it.Sage is a character of my own design, completely fictional, completely from my imagination. Please read my profile because it helps explain something that may be confusing.
1. The Meeting

Sam and Dean Winchester were hunters, and not just any hunters, they were monster hunters. Hunting was basically all they had known since they were young children and their father had told them of his hunts and even took them on a few. Hunting was in their family, their father did it, their uncle did, and their grandfather even did it. In fact it was a creature of the undead that killed their mother with the boys were young, still in the single digit ages. It was also another member of the undead that took their father away not long afterwards and they were taken in by their uncle, Bobby. Of the two, Dean was the one who was a hunter the longest. Sam tried to live a normal life, well as best he could knowing what he did and having the family that he did. It was Dean who saved his brother from a creature that used human brains as nourishment when he was in middle school and had a slight crush on the creature's young daughter. Neither Sam nor Dean could hold a solid relationship for an extended period of time due to the fact that they were always pulled back into the hunting game. Dean had to give up a fiancé and a child when Sam needed him because he couldn't resist what was in his blood, being a hunter. The boys lived through some pretty horrific scenes and injuries and monsters who wanted them to die. They have been through their share of awful fights but the need of the job kept pulling them back together regardless of what they had done to each other. They were hunters and they were all they had while they continued the long search for the creature that had killed their mother so long ago.

Sam and Dean found themselves on the run a lot and constantly getting in trouble with the law and the FBI which they impersonate more often than not when they need to gain access to the latest crime scene of a monster attack. Both could pull off the guise of a fed quite well. They were both attractive and looked good in their standard suits. Sam had brown eyes and dark brown hair that hung just below his ears. He was tall and thin and strong although not as strong as Dean. Not to mention the fact that Sam currently had no soul. It was taken from him by the demons from hell and the only reason he hadn't turned over to their side was because Bobby had built up a wall in his mind to keep the evil away. Dean was arguably the more attractive of the pair. He had short light brown hair although some blonde was visible in the daylight. His eyes were a soft hazel with flecks of green. He was tall but shorter than Dean and he had more defined muscle all over his body.

Sam and Dean had just recently lost their uncle, Bobby, to a bullet in the brain when he was shot by Dick Rogers, the head of the Leviathan, when he was trying to discover what they were up to in their factory. He had survived for a couple days in the hospital but then quickly coded and slipped away to whatever afterlife awaited him. The boys had a terrible time with his death because he was the last family they had and they were all alone again, just like they always seemed to be before Bobby came back to them. It hit Dean hardest of all, he couldn't accept the fact that it was Bobby's time to go and he didn't know how to handle yet another death of someone he had been so close to.

The first case the boys worked as just themselves again once Bobby died was that of a werewolf that had been terrorizing a small town, although not as small as one might think when they hear the phrase small town. The town had no idea how to handle their current crisis or even what is was that was killing people left and right so they called the local authorities and Sam and Dean flocked to the town in their standard guise as FBI agents. The local police chief suspected a new serial killer was on the loose but one look at the crime scene and the Winchesters knew different. It was a werewolf, it had to be, nothing else could have created the damage they saw or the injuries to the victims. The worst part wasn't the fact that it was a werewolf terrorizing the town and killing the people, it was the fact that they didn't know who the wolf was in its human form. The most dangerous thing about monster hunting is not knowing who or, in some cases, what the monster was.

The boys thought they knew the true identity of the wolf, they thought it was a local Wiccan named Ivy, who kept strange things in her shop and made her own potions. When they confronted her later that evening, she quickly shied away from the pair of "FBI" agents and told them that the wolf had marked them as its own and that it would soon collect on what it was owed and that they should be warned. Ivy then pushed them out of her store and locked the door behind them, all three locks that she had, and closed the blinds as she became a spell to remove the mark of the wolf the men had left in her shop. Sam and Dean remained skeptical of what she said and the fact that she claimed she wasn't the wolf as they made their way back to the local hotel where they were staying until the case was solved. It wasn't until they reached the street was their hotel was that they saw it. The thick black fur was gleaming in the light of the full moon as the wolf's huge silver eyes searched the area it was sure it smelled the men. Before the wolf could turn around Sam grabbed Dean by the arm and pulled him through the alleyway in between two small buildings in close proximity to where they had just stood in shock. The werewolf sensed the disturbance of the gravel in the alleyway and took off after the sound and the distinct smell of the marked men.

Dean pulled his arm free of Sam's iron grasp and darted into the forest behind the town just as the wolf rounded the corner. The forest was full of large trees that had been in there place for a century or so. The boys darted behind one and tried to calm their breathing. The wolf stopped as it left the alleyway and sniffed the air trying to locate their scent beneath all the forest smells and other animals. Sam slowly removed his 9 mil from its holster on his hip and fumbled with the cartridge and the silver bullet in his pocket which fell through his shaky hands and landed somewhere on the forest floor, it was hard to tell exactly where in the dark.

"Shit!" Sam whispered under his breath as he dropped to the ground trying to locate the bullet.

The sound was enough for the wolf as it lunged through the forest and grabbed Sam around the waist before flinging him to the ground feet away from where it picked him up. The wolf snarled and circled Sam as he tried desperately to catch his breath which had been knocked from him when he landed on the ground. The wolf wanted a game of cat and mouse to play with its food before devouring it.

Dean witnessed the entire scene from his hiding place between two trees that had grown together feet away from where the wolf had snatched Sam. He loaded his silver bullet into his revolver and spun the cartridge.

"Take this you son of a bitch!" Dean shot through the trees missing the wolf by mere inches as it turned swiped one large paw across Sam's chest before dashing to the spot where the loud noise had originated.

Sam lay on the ground holding a hand to his ripped up chest as he watched Dean run from his hiding place and the wolf in hot pursuit on his heels. Just as the wolf had done to Sam, it grabbed Dean around the middle in its huge teeth and tossed him into a nearby tree where his vision turned briefly black before dancing with spots of color. The large black wolf snarled menacingly at Dean and bit his leg, enough to injury but not to break or tear off; it knew what it was doing.

Sam watched hopelessly from the ground as he anticipated the werewolf was about to tear apart and devour the only person he had left in the world, his brother. It was in that instant when the large black wolf lunged at Dean that the shots were fired, from a machine gun in quick succession and the wolf howled and dropped to the ground, dead, as it converted back to it's human form. It wasn't Ivy the Wiccan, it was the deputy police chief.

Sam and Dean slowly stood up and assessed their injured bodies, pretty bad wounds but they'd live, both men had seen worse and lived through it.

"What the hell was that?" Dean looked around the now silent forest the surrounded them as Sam limbed over to join him.

"I don't know but it sure as hell saved us!" Sam joined in Dean's astonishment as he looked about the forest.

"I'll take that as a thanks." Both men turned in shock at the figure that dropped down out the tree a few feet away.

The figure looked up from its crouched postion before standing up. The moonlight caught the figure in a sliver of light that pierced the canapy of the dense foliage. The figure was a young woman. She was taller but still petite, her body was slim and well toned with beautiful curves, an hour glass figure. Her long, chest length hair had a wild wave to it and it hung free. Her hair was the color of warm chocolate with caramel colored highlights running throughout. Her eyes were a bright green that could see right into your soul it seemed. She was wearing dark wash jeans that were ripped in the knees and thighs and well worn on the hem. Covering her upper half was a plain white tank top and a woman's black leather jacket that looked well loved. On her feet were a pair of black leather boots with a wedge heel. As she strolled toward the brothers, they both saw that strapped across her back was the same machine gun that had shot down the werewolf.

"Stop right there!" Sam pulled his gun on the strange new woman before she could get any closer. She held up her soft white hands in a gesture resembling a surrender.

"That's the thanks I get for saving your asses?" She asked calmly with a playful smile falling across her lips.

Ignoring her play at being casual, Dean took charge while Sam held her at gun point. "What are you?" He demanded.

"I'm a hunter, same as the two of you, although it seems a little better prepared this time." She lowered her arms and crossed them over her chest while sticking her hip out and leaning her weight on one side.

"Oh yeah? How do we know?" Dean challenged her as he stepped just a bit closer. Sam clicked the safety off of his handgun as Dean moved closer to what they didn't know.

"You don't for sure. But you could always check my wrist if you want to." She smiled coyly which even showed in her eyes.

The thoughts played across Dean's face as he tried to decide if he should move closer to the stranger or not.

"How do i know your not packing anything besides that monster of a machine gun?" Dean looked her up and down, but whether searching for weapons or checking her out or a combination of the two was not known.

"You don't. And for the record I am. Ive got a hand gun on my hip, a knife sheathed on my leg and sometimes one of my back but not today." The woman unbuckled the strap that held the gun to her back and let it clatter to the forest floor. She then moved to remove the handgun from her waist and drop it on the floor. "I'm leaving the knife." She stated matter of factly.

In swift movement, Dean reached forward and grabbed her left wrist while yanking up her sleeve to reveal the black mark on the inside of her wrist. It was a thorny black rose that was dripping blood with the latin word, _protecter_, underneath. It was the mark that some hunters choose to get. After looking to assure it was real, Dean met her piercing gaze and tossed her wrist aside while moving back from her.

"You've got the mark and the weapons but how do we know you're not Leviathan?" Sam spoke up from where he stood behind Dean, his gun still aimed at the woman's head.

"I'll show you." She reached down and pulled the hunting knife from her calf sheath. In one quick motion, she brought the blade down on her forearm and drew it across, unflinching the whole time. The wound ran with dark crimson blood and cascaded down her arm and fell off her fingertips to the soil below.

"Red, not black ooze." She raised her arm into the moonlight so the hunters could clearly see the red rivers that ran from her cut and down her arm.

"Jesus!" Dean cursed to himself as he tore off a strip of his t-shirt and went over to the other hunter to wrap her arm. He wound it tight and tied it off before stepping back to Sam. His hand lingered for a moment too long on her arm and she smiled at him, her teeth as white as the moon above.

"Well, she's obviously not Leviathan or anything else dangerous or she would have killed us already." Sam reasoned to Dean but more so for himself. "I think she really is a hunter."

"No shit." Dean replied as he watched Sam reholster his gun and watcht the girl behind them cautionously as if she might strike them.

"Let's take her back to the hotel and talk to her, she could know something we don't about the Leviathan." Sam said running his fingers across the wound on his chest. When he drew his fingers away he noticed it had stopped bleeding.

"Are you kidding me? No way Sam, not until we get more answers from her." Dean said coldly. He turned around just as the strange new hunter was the buckling the machine gun to her back. The hand gun was already back on her hip.

"Why are you here?" Dean's gaze leveled with her own as he questioned her.

"Same reason the two of you are I assume," she began leaning back against a tree, "I read about the maulings in this town the chief decided was a serial killer, I figured it was worth checking out. I used the guise as an FBI agent except I was told that two were already here. I claimed to be a partner and got access the crime scenes. I saw the two of you at a nearby cafe and instantly knew you were hunters. I saw you earlier and I heard the Wiccan, Ivy, I believe talk of you being marked. I saw you tonight coming back to the hotel, i chased the wolf into the woods when I knew it spotted you. I took my post up there-" she gestured toward the tree she had jumped from "-when it paused to find you. The fact that you were marked made me of no concern to the wolf."

"Where are you from?"

"I don't really remember. We moved alot when I was little, both of my parents were hunters and I had to accompany them although I was always left at the hotel even though they trained me well. The actually died five years in a car crash surprisingly, I've been on my own ever since then."

"Who are you?"

"Tell me your names first. It's the least you could do for the thanks of saving you." The woman held Dean's gaze for a moment before she looked over at Sam who spoke next.

"I'm Sam Winchester and this is my brother Dean." Sam nodded his head toward his brother.

"I'm Sage, Sage Larouche." Sage extended her hand with her black polished nails and Sam took in his own much larger hand and shook it.

"Good to know you, we've never met a fellow hunter who is as good as we are or who has been doing it as long either." Sam shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke with a tired smile.

Sage extended her hand to Dean who reluctantly took it and shook before releasing and acting uninterested.

"We need another hunter with us. We've been short since we lost Bobby and by the way this first case went, we need someone who's good." Sam spoke slowly, not knowing how Sage operated since they had just met.

Dean's light colored brow shot up at the mention of getting a new hunter. "What? We don't need anyone Sam! We're fine by ourselves, like old times!" Dean was angry, it was clear by his voice which took on an icy quality.

"We do Dean! And that's final whether you like it or not!" Sam yelled at his brother who stalked off. "If you're leaving then clean up that werewolf!" Dean flipped him off but when to do it anyway.

"Don't mind him. Losing Bobby hit him the hardest since he practically raised him but he'll come around. So do you wanna join us? We could both us some extra help." Sam offered an encouraging smile and a totally fake laugh but it was the thought that counted.

Sage bit her full pink bottom lip and looked off in the direction Dean and stalked off. "I'll do it." She stated with a real smile as she looked back to Sam. "Besides, I could use the company, I've been on my own for way too long. I need some one to talk to."

"Lead you back to our hotel room?" Sam offered his arm, ever the gentleman.

Sage gave him a playful punch in the arm and raised her eyebrows before she laughed, a soft sweet sound that Sam had missed, a woman's laughter. "Sure, but don't think you'll get me in bed without dinner first." Sage laughed again and Sam joined her as he laid a hand over hers on his arm.

The walk back to the boys' hotel was a fairly silent one, Sage and Sam enjoying having the company of someone they had never met before. The hotel the boys' were holed up in was the only one in town and it was fairly small as far as hotels go, it certainly didn't belong in New Yor City but it suited their needs.

Sage paused outside the hotel and looked up the facade of the building. Sam realized her hand had fallen from the crook of his arm and he turned to look back at her. "What is it?" Sam looked throughly concerned. It had been awhile since he spent time with a beautiful woman, the very first time he spent time with a beautiful woman who was dangerous like Sage.

"I'm packing pretty heavy." She gestured behind her to the rather large machine gun.

Sam laughed. "Small town, one hotel, this is the first time something huge has happened, there is no one working the front desk unless you ring the bell. Come on, it's safe." He held out a hand for her and she rested her hand on his palm as he lead her inside the cozy hotel. Sam was right, no one was maning the front desk.

The hunters walked up two flights of stairs to the thrid and final floor where Sam and Dean had their hotel room, room 312. Sam held the door open for Sage and followed her inside before quickly locking both locks.

"Damn!" Sage exclaimed, looking Sam up and down slowing, almost as if checking him out except for the expression on her face. "You look bad."

Sam looked down at his chest where the werewolf had ripped him open. "No big deal. I've had worse before." Sam shrugged and looked at her. She really was extremely beautiful. He wondered how both he and his brother could work with Sage, a huge distraction even though she is an amazing hunter, and not want to get her bed so bad that they'd end up fighting over her.

"What the hell is SHE doing here?" Sam's thoughts were shattered by Dean's angry remark as both he and Sage turned toward the sound.

Dean stood in the doorframe of the small hotel bathroom wearing nothing but his dark wash jeans. His hair was slightly spiked and wet due to his recent shower to clean his wounds from his attack. He had a small hotel towel draped over his shoulders, the hotel towel appearing way too small to dry a full grown man.

Sage drew in a small gasp as she watched Dean. He was sexy standing there without a shirt. His chest and stomach were sculpted but not too defined which Sage liked in a man. His dark jeans hung slightly below his hips revealing his hip bones and the sex lines that laid just above and pointed toward his crotch. The only hair on his upper half was a happy trail starting at his belly button and disappearing at his waistband but Sage knew it continued to a place she couldn't see. How long had it been since she was with a man? She couldn't remember but clearly it had been while by the way she was turned on just looking at Dean.

"Again I say, what the hell is she doing here?" His face was set in determined anger. His jawline hard and unmoving, his eyes piercing but still beautiful. Sage couldn't help but softly lick her lips. She liked Dean, found him drop dead sexy even though he wasn't her biggest 'fan right now.

"She's joining us Dean, I told you that. We need another hunter and she's good, really good. She saved both our asses out there today. We'd be DEAD without her." Sam's face was just as determined as he fought to keep Sage.

"Fine, whatever. But don't expect me to like it." Dean waved his hand dismissively and stalked off down the hall to a bedroom where he slammed the door.

"He'll come around." Sam went to the couch and fell back into it, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sage just shrugged but her eyes were still trained on the door that Dean had retreated into. Her mind still picturing how he looked standing against that doorframe. She laid her machine gun down on the coffee table in front of the raddy couch and pulled off her worn leather jacket and tossed it on top of her gun. Before sitting down on the couch she had to remove her pistol and both knives that she had stashed on her person. Once everything was out on the table she allowed herself to sit down beside Sam and relax. Her thoughts wondered back to Dean, she didn't know what feelings might be there but she knew there was definitely lust.

"What do you know about the leviathen?" Sam asked as he eyed her. His eyes wondered to her healthy C-cup cleavage which was clearly accented by her tight white tank top. Sam could feel himself getting aroused just being with her.

"Not much except for the old bible stuff. I've been a little busy saving your asses to do my research." Sage looked at Sam. He was hot too, but like Dean, he lacked the sex appeal and the rugged sexyness that Dean so easily possessed. "I don't really wanna talk about cases right now, i'm not in the mood."

Sam watched her as shifted her weight and crossed her legs, thigh over thigh, he wanted to reach out and touch them. What would Sage do if he leaned over and kissed her right now? The soft hill in his pants growing harder. He settled for another question instead. "Don't you have any other clothes or anything?"

"Yeah i do, they're in my car, stashed out in the forest a ways. i figuered i'd be going right back out there after the case. i'll get them tomorrow. Then we can decide whose car we want." Sage replied, softly biting her lower lip. Would being with Sam help her arousal, he was hot enough but he wasn't Dean. However, Dean wasn't in the mood to be around her or like her at all right now.

"Hey Sage-" Sam began but he was cut off as Sage leaned across him and kissed him hard. Her slender hands move down his chest and started to unbutton his stained collared shirt. She slipped her tongue inside his mouth and playfully bit his tongue.

"Sage," Dean murmered as he kept kissing her back, using the full force of his lips upon hers, "Are you sure?"

"Don't talk." She managed to speak quietly and Sam didn't say another word as she moved her tongue inside his mouth and finished unbuttoning his shirt.

Sam shrugged out of his now discarded shirt and slide his hands up the back of Sage's tank top. Sage moaned softly as Sam began to kiss down her neck. She quicklyl adjusted her position so she now straddled his lap facing him. She could feel how he hard he was beneath his black pants and that just made her hotter. Sam slowly trailed his tongue down her neck.

"Mmmmmmmmmm." Sage clsoed her eyes and tangeled her fingers into Sam's hair. She ran her other hand over Sam's bare chest. His scratches caked in dried blood but she didn't care. She was too turned on to care.

Sam yanked her tank top over her head and took control. He pushed her back onto the couch and got on top of her. He moved his hands to her front side and roughly ran them across her breasts which were still covered by her simple black bra. Sam had forgotten had good it felt to be with a woman, his only companion for a long time had been his right hand which was now occupied with lightly twisting Sage's nipples over her bra. She moved her hand to cup Sam's crouch through his pants. His breathing increased, alot.

Sage lightly pulled away from Sam's lips, her breathing frantic, she was extremely horny. "We can't do this here. We need to go to your room."

Sam looked stunned a minute, wondering why Sage had pulled away before he lifted hmself off of her and went down the hall and into a room on the other side. Sage gathered her top and ran off after Sam coming up behind him and spanking his ass. She thought about how for a small hotel, the boys' room or suite as it should more rightly be called was actually pretty big. She tossed her top to the ground and shut the door, locking it behind her. A wicked smile crossed her face as she sasayed to the bed where Sam lay out, now in only his blue boxers, the dried blood wiped off his chest.

"Come here," Sam watched her hips as she walked. Sage slide her hands down from her stomach to her crotch. She slowly unzipped her jeans and unhitched the single button before slipping them off onto the ground. She stood in front of the bed in just her black bra and her black lace thong. Sam leaned across the bed and pulled her down on top of him. His strong hands ran over her back to unhook her bra and toss it aside.

"Touch me Sam," Sage moaned as she rolled him over on top of her again.

He didn't hesitate. Instead of going for her nice, round breasts again, Sam slid his hand down her stomach and ran a finger underneath the waistband of her panties. He paused a moment before lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her hard and hot, slipping his needy tongue into her mouth. Her mouth eagerly accepted and she moved her tongue into his in little flicking movements. His hand moved down even farther to rub her crotch through her panties. His movements were slow and deliberate and he felt how Sage reacted to what he was doing. She liked her, her panties growing damp underneath his hand. God, a women felt so good when she was turned on and wet. Sam moaned just at the feel of her and his penis reacted, he was hard, rock freaking hard.

Sage moved her hand to Sam's penis. She grabbed it and squeezed not violently but hard enough to produce another moan from deep within his body. He kissed her more franticly and rougher than before.

"More," Sage moaned loudly, "i want more." She closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip while moving her hand up and down on Sam's penis.

Sam wanted to please her, more than anything. There was a beautiful woman in his bed who was extremely turned on and he hadn't been with a woman in a long time. He moved his hand back up to her stomach and he felt her pouty lips against his own as he moved it. He smiled. He knew what she wanted. He took her thong off and tossed it somewhere amoungst the other things on his floor. When he brought his hand back he slowly slid it up her thigh, the thigh he wanted he had wanted so badly to touch in the other room. As his hand moved over her crotch, he let his middle finger trail between the lips of her vagina and playfully pushed just the tip inside of her.

"Mmmmmm," Sage moved her hand faster along Sam's penis.

"You like that?" Sam asked in a low, semisexy voice.

"Just do it and you'll find out." Sage's beautiful voice was very breathey.

Sam pushed two fingers inside of her and her body reacted immediately. Sage herself sighed in pleasure. Sage was very, very wet and a woman's pleasure was a turn on for Sam. Not only was she wet but she was tight, not tight enough to climax but tight all the same. His fingers moved faster and went further inside her. Sage arched her back and allowed him to push them further inside of her.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Oh Sam that feels soooooooooo good!" Sage's voice came out in a total moan, animal and wild. Sam kept going, liking how Sage was throughly enjoying his fingers inside of her and how she reacted to them.

Finally Sam pulled his fingers out very slowly and looked at Sage. She moaned soft and low as he pulled his fingers out of her and licked the fluids off of them.

He moved down her body and let his tongue down from her belly button before stopping at her clit. He worked his tongue there as he did in her mouth, slow and deliberate with a little sucking.

Sage went wild. Her moans became louder and she dug her hands into his hair as he continued. "I want you Sam, I want you!" Sage cried out. Although the man giving her all that pleasure was Sam, he wasn't the man she pictured and thought about. The one she thought about was Dean, with his hair dripping wet and his low hanging dark wash jeans and bare muscular chest.

Sam immediately following her words and moved himself back over her. His hands rested on either side of her body and he pushed himself into her. Her moan was one of ecatasy. "OH! Sam!" Sage pulled his hair as he moved deeper and faster inside of her. They both needed this, they needed sex with someone to relieve their tenision and some lust, although Sage knew that she would lust after Dean just as hard. She also knew that she'd be able to get him to like her and sleep with her at some point.

She moved her body against Sam's as he moved faster and hard inside and against her. "Damn you're beautiful and sooo damn sexy." Sam moaned as he lowered his head to her ear to tell her exactly that.

"You're close Sam," Sage breathed hard and raged. Before Sage ever got to finish, Sam pulled out and came on the bed sheets.

He fell off to the side breathing hard just as she was. "I don't usually do that you know. Fall into bed with some guy just because i'm turned on." Sage clarified laying her hand on her stomach.

"Just so you know, neither do i, usually, and i didn't think you were some slut who slept with everyone just because they're there." Sam said as he moved beneath the covers on the bed.

Sage sat up and pulled her shapely legs against her soft, round breasts and cocked her head to one side. Her hair falling down over that shoulder. "Are you gonna make me go sleep on the couch tonight?" She positioned her lips in a full on pout as she turned and looked at Sam.

"Of course not," Sam laughed, "I got to see a beautiful woman naked and have sex with her. So of course that beautiful woman can sleep in my bed. Besides, it wouldn't be hard on the eyes to wake up to that either." He winked as Sage rolled her bright green eyes and crawled into bed beside him.

"I'm not looking for a relationship right now Sam," she said as she the pulled the covers up over her chest. "and i'm not looking to cuddle just because we slept together. and don't expect it to happen again. it could but don't count on it." Sage turned over and her sea of hair fell across the pillow.

"I get it Sage, but im still here as a friend if you're interested in that." Sam closed his eyes after watching her for a few more minutes.

"I am. Thanks Sam and thanks for the sex." Sage laughed. "I needed it really bad, it's been awhile since i've been with another person."

"Same here." Sam laughed too. "Do you do it yourself?"

"Don't you think that's a little too personal a question Sam?" Sage's face broke into a smile. "And for the record i don't."

Sam was quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "Oh, well regardless you're good in bed." He reached down and squeezed her ass.

Sage gave him her signiture eye roll even though she could'nt see it because she was facin the other direction. "Goodnight Sam."

"Goodnight Sage." Sam replied as he drifted to thoughts of her while Sage's mind was occupied by thoughts of his brother, Dean.


	2. A Heart to Heart

The early morning sun had just begun to peak through the curtains in the hotel room when Sam stumbled out of bed in a rather wrinkled pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt. His eyes opened wide when he reached the tiny kitchen area of the small suite and saw Sage standing at the counter making a pot of coffee. She was wearing only one of Sam's button up shirts and a pair of panties. Her long brown and caramel hair was lied up in a loose ponytail and wisps of hair were falling out already and hanging around her pretty face.

"Sage, it's early. Why are you awake now?" Sam groaned as he ran a hand across his unshaven face and into his wild morning hair.

"We need to get moving before they realize that the werewolf deputy is missing." Sage replied calmly as she poured two cups of coffee. She handed one to Sam who stood on the other side of the counter and took a sip of the other.

"True, we need to go get your stuff from your car anyway." Sam took a long swig of coffee. It was strong, which he didn't mind but it was something that most people wouldn't drink. "Why are you wearing my shirt?"

"It was the first thing i found this morning and i didn't feel like searching for my own clothes in the dark." Sage shrugged her shoulders as Dean came down the hall wearing the same dark jeans from the night before only with a white t-shirt and a leather jacket.

"We leaving?" Dean asked, staring straight at his brother and not bothering to acknowledge Sage at all.

"Soon." Sam replied as Sage pushed a third coffee cup across the counter to where Dean stood. He took it without hesitation and drank it down, fast.

"Stronge. but okay." He nodded, just a slight bob of his head, at Sage who took another sip of her own coffee. Confusion quickly crossed Dean's face as he took in Sage.

"Isn't that Sammie's shirt?" Dean gestured to Sage's upper half, the only part of her that was really clothed.

"Yes." Her response was short giving away nothing. Her bright green eyes traveled over to catch Sam's brown ones. With his face he begged her not to mention the night before. She gave him a beautiful smile full of devilish fun and proceeded to open her mouth regardless.

"I slept with your brother just so you know." She said in a matter of fact that left nothing to be debated.

Dean's features turned to a mask of shock and horror. "You did what?" He directed that question at Sage. "Sam, please tell me you didn't." Before Sage even answered he moved on to Sam.

"Damn Sage! Yes Dean i slept with her last night." Sam sighed, a defeated sound. He trailed his fingers through his long brown hair in a nervous gesture.

"SAM! Why? I knew she'd be a distraction!" Dean was angry. He slammed his coffee mug down on the counter and started to pace across the tiny room.

"It just happened! It's not like i planned it when she saved us last night!" Sam yelled back, getting angry because Dean was angry.

Sage took this as an oppurtunity to get out of the room. She slipped out behind Dean who was still yelling and wondered back into Sam's room. His stuff was all put away nice and clean in a duffel bag by the door. Her clothes were no longer strewn across the floor but laid out on the bed, including the tank top she had left in the living room. She slipped back into her ripped jeans and quickly unbuttoned Sam's collared shirt and packed it into his bag. Sage quietly pulled on her simple white tank top and her black wedge boots and slid her small body into her leather jacket. She grabbed Sam's duffel off the ground and pulled her long hair out of her jacket as she casually strolled back into the main room.

Dean saw her enter the room as she started to reattach her weapons to their correct holsters and put them on her body. He had stopped yelling, instead he stromed off into his room to grab his own bag in preparation to leave.

"Why'd you go and tell him that we slept together?" Sam sounded tired, although he clearly wasn't, as he approached Sage and put his bag on his shoulder.

"It's not fair to keep secrets since we all work together now, so i thought he had a right to know. It's not like it's gonna happen again anyway. That was a one time only deal Sam." Sage him the simple answer that was all truth. She didn't like Sam that way, he was just a friend to her, nothing more but she didn't find it needed to say all that. She didn't think Sam had any true feelings for her beyond friendship anyway.

Sam looked momentarily hurt but he quickly recovered so Sage didn't know if she truely saw what she thought she did in the first place. "That's true, a one time only thing. We won't have sex again."

Dean then entered the room as the last few things were said. "We leaving?"

Sage stood and dusted off her tight jeans as if to remove the whole conversation. "Yeah, we're headed out now. Got to go get my stuff and my car out of the forest."

Dean shot Sam a look before heading the door and down the back stairs that lead to the back of the hotel. Sage followed him quietly and Sam closed the door behind them, leaving their room key on the coffee table.

"Where's your car?" Sam asked as he joined Sage and Dean outside the hotel. Sage pointed out into the forest and adjusted her machine gun before setting off on foot in pursuit of her car.

"I'll stay with our car." Sam volunteered as he watched Sage turn around at his words. "Someone needs to get our car and meet up outside of town." Sam shrugged his shoulders and his bag jostled against his leg. "So i'll do it. Dean go with Sage."

Dean clearly wasn't thrilled with the way things had gone but his tossed his bag down at Sam's feet. "Suit yourself, but i'm not carrying my bag through the woods if you're going to the car." He turned on his heel and jogged out to where Sage stood on the edge of the forest amoungst the trees.

Sage thought about Sam's descision to stay with their cr and meet up outside of town. He was clearly hurt by something she had said or done but he couldn't let it get in the way, the three of them were a team. He just needed space.

Sage resumed walking in the direction of her hidden car once Dean reached her side. He didn't say anything until they were almost halfway there by Sage's count. The only sound was leaving crunching under their feet.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Dean asked, his voice shattering the silence.

"Hmm?" Sage was pulled from her mental thoughts and she looked over at Dean. "No i don't. I like him as a friend and a hunter but nothing more."

Dean took a moment to digest her words before he continued. "Then why'd you do it?"

"I'm a hunter Dean. I'm unstable. It's hard to be with someone when you're always on the move. It's been awhile since i've been with a man. You guys came along and we're gonna be together a while. I didn't plan on it, it just happened. We were turned on and we were there. That's how it went. It's not gonna happen again." Sage gave Dean all the things that came to mind when she thought about why she had slept with Sam. "That's not something i do, sleep with someone i just met."

Dean nodded, accepting her answer. "Why Sam?"

"He was there Dean, i already said that. Now i get a question, why do you hate me?"

Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't hate you Sage. I don't want another person to worry about, especially a beautiful woman. Sam's enough and Bobby just died. I don't wanna worry about growing close to someone else only to have them die too. So yeah, i didn't want you to join us. I owe you for saving my life, but i don't wanna worry about someone else."

Sage said nothing for a minutes before her car came into sight tucked underneath a canopy of trees. "That's too bad Dean. I'm here to stay, but i'm sorry. I've lost people to monsters too, it's not just you."

"You said your parents died in a car crash." Dean stopped and looked at her.

"They did. But there crash was caused by the creature they were after on the hunter." Sage said, chipping away just a little more of her past.

Sage resumed her walking and she opened her car door once she got there. Sage drove a black mustang. It was simple but it was slick and and nice. She reached underneath the drivers seat and pulled out her car keys. Dean's face lit up in a way once he saw what she drove.

"Heads up." Sage flung something through the air that landed easily in Dean's hands. "You drive." Those words cleared up the confusion on his face.

Dean eagarly climbed into the drivers seat and slammed the door. "Were meeting up with Sam on the outskirts of town, the usual place is near the welcome into town sign." Dean said as he startbed up the mustang which purred to life.

"Quid pro quo Dean." Sage said crossing her legs and watching Dean's face as he drove.

"You first." Dean spoke while he still looked straight ahead out the windshield as he manovered the car through the forest, back in the direction of the road.

"You clearly don't wanna be close to women. Have you lost a wife?" Sage didn't beat around the bush; she went right into the serious stuff.

"Not my wife, my girlfriend. I had to give her up when I started hunting again with Sam. Well her and her son. It was one of the worst things I've ever gone through." Dean spoke slowly as if he was thinking about how much to tell Sage. She sat patiently and waited for the rest of the story but Dean didn't say anything else about his old girlfriend.

"What about you Sage? Ever lost anyone you loved besides your parents?"

Sage contemplated telling him that using the same question was cheating but she thought better of it, he was talking to her after all and not ignoring her. "A boyfriend once. He was killed by a vampire like creature, a ventala, who drank him dry and poisoned him over a period of a few days. It was horrible. I've been tracking the creature for a long time trying to avenge his death like I did for my parents but I've lost track of it too many times and I don't know where it is. His name was Tristan."

Dean was the first person that Sage had ever talked about Tristan, well about his death. A couple of her old friends knew about him but their friendship ended shortly after he died and she gave up everything to become a full time hunter. They thought his death was a car accident where he drove off a bridge. Dean was now the only other person who knew the truth about Tristan.

Dean turned his eyes off the forest road around the small sports and looked over at Sage who was staring straight ahead with a dead stare. It was obvious in her posture that talking about Tristan was hard for her.

"What's the worst thing about this job in your opinion?" Sage didn't give Dean a chance to say that he was sorry for her loss. She hated it when people said that because no one knew what it was like to loss someone they loved. She felt that Dean knew exactly what it was like but she still didn't wanna hear him stumble over how sorry he was.

"Losing people. It's unexpected and you can't control it. There's no way to prevent it either. When you fight monsters that most people don't believe in that have unnatural abilities you're gonna lose people you love." Dean had just revealed another reason he didn't want Sage to join them. He hated to lose people.

"What's yours?" Dean really didn't know how to play the game correctly but Sage didn't mind. He was talking to her as a person and not as someone he didn't want to be around. Her questions were good for her to answer too, they weren't just for him.

"Not being able to really grow close to people. If you do you end up having to give them up and that hurts worse than not getting close to them in first place. Tristan was the last person I was close to and really got to know, once he died I decided to keep to myself. You and Sam are actually the first person that I actually want to get to know. I need other people Dean. I can't handle being alone anymore and hunting on my own." Sage felt comfortable talking to Dean even though they were still on rocky ground. She just told him all the things she was thinking about and they seemed to relate to his question. Sage watched his beautiful face to see how he took the things she said.

Dean didn't say anything for awhile. He couldn't figure what to say to her or how to take what she told him either. For the first time since they met, he didn't know for sure how he felt about her. At first he wanted to hate her because she was taking Bobby's place and he hated the fact that Bobby really was gone but now that they were talking, he didn't hate her anymore but he didn't know how he felt about Sage.

"I want you to stay Sage. I know I said I didn't but I take it back. I don't know what to think about you right now." Dean spoke slowly when he told Sage to stay. They had just reached the main road and were only a few miles from the welcome into town sign when Dean said those words to her.

"Really Dean? Are you sure you want me to stay?" Sage looked at him as he drove, his jaw set in a hard line and his eyes straight ahead on the small road out of town.

"Yes, stay with us Sage. You're good and we need you." Dean spoke quickly, he was nervous. He wasn't used to sharing his heart or his mind with someone he barely knew, especially since he feared getting close to people, mostly beautiful women.

Sage nodded her head and looked out the passenger side window. "I'll stay."

Dean said nothing as he pulled up alongside the welcome sign and Dean'a baby, an older black sports car, very close to a mustang. Sam was still sitting inside in the drivers seat, looking over a map. Dean turned to Sage as he parked the car and turned it off. "I'm looking for revenge too Sage, for Bobby's death, I'll need the extra help and it sounds like you might too. Ventala are horrible creatures and it will be hard for you to discover them since you're a woman and they go for men. Sometimes they are in pairs too."

"I know about Ventala Dean, i've done my research. They killed Tristan remember? i wanted to know as much as i could about them. What killed Bobby?"

"Leviathan. Their leader actually, he shot him in the head. He survived for a day in the hospital but he eventually died after giving us a number, coordinates to a field that is the source of a new building, belonging to DickRoman Enterprises."

Dean stepped out of the mustang and Sage was quick to follow, grabbing her bags from the back of the car and tossing them over her shoulder before climbing into the back seat of the other car as Dean crawled in up front beside Sam who folded the map and put it away before driving off down the road back towards the house where the Winchester's were living.

"Wait a minute, are you saying that the leader of the Leviathan is Dick Roman? Millionaire entrepauner Dick Roman?" Sage was shocked as she leaned over from the back seat and put her small hands on the shoulders of both men in front of her.

"That's what i'm saying. Leviathan got Dick Roman and he's in charge now. He's untouchable and he shot Bobby." Dean set his jaw in a hard line and clenched his fists.

Sage said nothing. Leviathan had more influence than she thought. Dick Roman that was huge. He was basically in charge of the country, the businesses anyway.

"What do you know about Leviathan Sage?" Sam asked her as Dean continued to fume and plot his revenge on Dick Roman.

"Apparently not very much. I know that they are immortal and there is no way to kill them. If they eat you they can become you and that they bleed black ooze." Sage bit her lower lip and glanced over at Dean who wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, at least it didn't appear that he was paying attention.

"We know more. They can mimic you without having to kill you, if they have your DNA they can make themselves look like you. A couple of them did it to Dean and I a couple months back. They ran rampent killing people and video taping it so everyone would think we were the killers. They still would except when we were arrested they came into the jail and the sheriff saw what they could do. We made it look like we died so no one would look for us anymore." Sam retold their story of one of the worst times of their lives.

"What else do you know?" Sage asked. Since she was going to be working with the pair, she needed to know all the things that they knew, mostly about Leviathan since they had more experience than she did. Sage had never come across one of the creatures, or at least she didn't think she had. It was hard to tell when they looked human most of the time.

"We haven't figured out how to kill them yet but there has to be a way. We have discovered to injury them pretty bad. Cleaning supplies that contain amonia, it burns them pretty bad, they will eventally regenerate but it stops them briefly. They can be shot and stabbed but it doesn't really do anything. They only other way to stop them for awhile is to take off their head. Not only that but Lucifer doesn't even like them and he doesn't know how to kill them even though he would like to take out Dick Roman just as much as Dean would."

Dean grunted at that statement but flipped open an old black journal. Sage looked over at him but she couldn't tell what was in it.

"How do you know Lucifer doesn't want anything to do with the Leviathan?" Sage turned her attention back to Sam who was answering her questions.

"Wow, Dick Roman really does think that he's above the most evil man there is, the devil himself." Sage chewed on her fingernail as she thought about the new information that Sam gave her.

"What's Dick planning?" Sage wondered out loud, mostly to herself.

"Bobby was shot while he was investigating one of Dick Roman's factories. It appeared he was experimenting with some kind of chemical goo, he was putting it into the turducken sandwiches at Biggerson's, it turned people into man eating zombies after getting them addicted to the sandwich in the first place. Everyone ate it, including Dean who almost got turned into a zombie himself had we not caught the goo in the sandwich. We suspect he might be trying to create more Leviathan, but we don't know for sure. Bobby knew more than we do and he died with that information. The only thing we know are coordinates." Sam explained what had happened at the factory and with the sandwiches.

"The cooridinates to the empty field that now belongs to Dick Roman Enterprises."

Sam looked at her. He had no idea how she would have known about that since she just now figured out that Dick Roman was the leader of the Leviathan.

"Dean told me about it." Sage shrugged.

Sam shot Dean a look across the seats.

"Yeah i talked to her you moron," Dean remarked as he rolled his head over to look at Sam, "I don't hate her Sam, i told her i want her to stay with her in fact." Dean went back to looking out the window as the ladnscape passed around them on their way back to the house where they lived.

Sam shook his head. "Anyway, his assistant, some woman i don't know, and a couple other guys were surveying the land. Dick's gonna build something there, something big, and it's not gonna be a good thing."

Sage quickly pulled her hair up in a ponytail and glanced over at the man who so recently shared some of his most private feelings with her. Sensing her gaze, Dean looked over and held Sage's intense eyes with his own.

"What are we gonna do about Dick Roman?" Sage asked the question to Sam since he had been answering all her questions but her kept her bright green eyes hooked on Dean's.

''We need to do more research on the Leviathan and Dick Roman and his company. We can't proceed until we know what to do. We need a way to kill them and we need a way to get close and figure out their plans without ending up like Bobby." Sam spoke out loud as he thought while he answered Sage's question. He continued to drive and didn't notice Dean and Sage staring at each other.

"We need to keep you a secret," Dean spoke up, finally pulling his eyes away from Sage, "We should keep you a secret from Dick Roman and the rest of the Leviathan. When it comes time to confront him, we'll have the upper hand if he still only thinks there are just the two of us. He doesn't need to know that we gained another hunter who is even better than Bobby."

Sam nodded and looked in the rearview mirror at Sage who was biting her thumbnail as she thought about the conversation.

"You're right. If Dick knows that Sage is with us, he'll step up his measures. We don't need him thinking that we have yet another target besides the two of us." Sam reasoned as he turned onto another street, a smaller less traveled street.

"Does he know about me? Dick Roman i mean, does he know about me?" Sage whispered as she looked out the windshield in front of her.

"I don't think that he does. You've never come into contact with any Leviathan as far as you know. Dick Roman isn't looking for every hunter, alot don't even now about the Leviathan in the first place. He'd only after s because we're trying to bring him down and we know more about his operations than we should. That's another reason we don't want him to know about you, he doesn't need to be after you too. That's why we're not going after him until we know how to kill him and the others." Dean said. He closed the old black journal and put it away in the duffel bag at his feet.

"Oh, another thing you should know about Dick Roman and the Leviathan. They can kill themselves, Bobby's seen it happen. Dick Roman was displeased with one of his men, a doctor, because it was his fault the formula didn't work and turned people into zombie cannibals. He put a bib on him and made him eat himself. That's the only way that they will die so far, if they eat themselves or eat each other." Sam remembered what Bobby had told them shortly before he was captured by the Leviathan.

"Dick made the doctor eat himself?" Sage sounded disgusted and totally confused.

"Oh yeah. He's a bad dude." Sam said as he looked for a road sign. "Hey Dean?"

"Hmmm?" Dean looked over at Sam.

"Is this the right way to get home?"

Dean opened up the map again and traced it with his finger. "Yeah, it appears to be."

Sage laid down on the back seat and crossed her ankles over each other. She rested her head against the door of the car and closed her eyes.

Sam looked in the rearview and saw that Sage was lying down. She was asleep within minutes.

The car was quiet for awhile, the only sounds came from the tires on the road.

Finally, Sam spoke, quietly so Sage wouldn't wake up. "You like her, don't you Dean?"

Dean didn't say anything for a long time. He ran his hand over his face and stared out the window. "I don't know Sam, I might. I only wanted to hate her because in a way she's taking Bobby's place as our third hunter. I don't hate her, i might like her, but i don't know. I don't wanna get close to someone only to lose them , i've done it and it sucks!"

"You're gonna have to get close to her regardless. She's staying with us Dean, you even told her that."

"I know what i told her and i know that she's staying. i just don't know how i feel about her yet. I talked to her earlier, in the mustang and she told me things about her that no one else knows. I told her things like that about me too. It's easy to talk to her Sam. I like to talk to her. She's different. I wanted to kiss her Sam." Dean whispered that last part as he glanced at the girl in question asleep on the back seat.

"Why didn't you?"

"For fear of losing her Sam! She has the same fear. A Ventala killed her boyfriend a while ago, his name was Tristan, since then she's afraid to get close to people because she doesn't wanna lose someone like that again!" Dean got angry with Sam for pushing the subject.

"You'll never know if you don't try."

"Just drop it Sam!" Dean yelled and looked out the window again. "I thought you liked her anyway."

Sam shrugged. "I think she's beautiful but i don't like her like i think you do. Besides after we slept together she told me she didn't like me that way and she wasn't interested in anything more than a friendship from me. I've seen her look at you Dean, there's something there." Sam's voice was quiet, he was hoping that Dean would calm down if he was calmer.

"You slept with her Sam, how can you tell me that you don't like her and she doesn't like you." Dean was yelling but he was still unhappy.

"I kissed her Dean, she didn't kiss me. The only reason we slept together was because it had been awhile since we were with someone that way and it was easy to be turned on. There was no emotion behind it except for lust. What did Sage tell you about it? i'm sure you asked her."

"She said basically the same thing. That she didn't like you that way, but the lust was there and you were there and it was convient." Dean sighed.

"I told you she didn't like me like that." Sam said.

Sage stirred in the backseat but she didn't wake up. She just rolled over and sighed in her sleep. Dean looked over the seat at her and watched her a minute.

"She likes you Dean, i know she does." Sam tried again when he noticed Dean watching Sage.

Dean didn't say anything else to argue the fact. In truth, he liked to think that Sage would like him.

The rest of the ride back to the house was silent except for breathing. Sage was asleep and Dean was once again looking throught the black journal and thinking about his revenge on Dick Roman and occasionallly of his conversation with Sage in the mustang earlier in the day. Sam just drove silently, thinking about different cases and how Sage had come into their life in the first place and saved their asses.

Sam pulled up in front of the house and Dean looked up from the journal before replacing it back into his bag and climbing out of the car. He headed up to the front door and drew his gun before he went inside. A few minutes later Dean reappeared and motioned Sam inside. Sam grabbed his own bag and climbed out of the car before he opened the door and shook Sage's shoulder. She slowly woke up and opened her eyes. Sam was once again shocked by ust how bright green they were.

"Welcome home," Sam said as he reached for her bag on the ground and swung it over his shoulder.

Sage sat up and grabbed her weapons off the car floor before she slid out of the car. "Thanks Sam."

She looked over at her new home. The house was small but it was inconspicious and there weren't any surrounding it. It looked cozy, but the fact that it was owned and occupied by two guys who hunted monsters and weren't home very often probably made it messy.

She followed Sam up the small porch steps and into the living room of the house. She was right it was small and kinda messy but also cozy. Dean was already sitting on the couch and drinking a beer with his feet propped up on the table. He raised his beer in her direction before flipping on the tv to watch the news.

"Want one?" Sam was in the fridge and held a beer in his hand.

Sage shrugged as she set her weapons down on the kitchen table. "Why not."

Sage went down and set on the couch beside Dean. Sam joined her on Dean's other side and passed the beer to her, already uncapped. She took a sip. Beer wasn't really Sage's type of drink but it seemed it was the only one they seemed to have and she needed something to drink after her night.

"Oh my god look at that asshole!" Dean slammed his beer bottle down on the coffee table and pointed to the tv. There was Dick Roman on the news, talking about some huge event that he was hosting at his house with some major players in the fiance and business game not to mention a select number of VIP and some VIP passes to be sold on the internet for a ton of money. The news caster was talking about how it was an event for some charity or another that Roman was starting.

Sage rolled her eyes as she watched the news cast. She took another sip of beer. "What does he hope to gain with his charity?" She wondered out loud.

"I don't know," Sam said as he took another sip of beer. "He could want the money for use in his evil Leviathan plans that we don't know about for sure."

"He could be planning to turn more people into Leviathan at the gala party thingie. Maybe that's the whole point of the party in the first place. Turn more high up men into Leviathan for his army." Dean added his two cents into the conversation.

Sage almost choked on her next sip of beer. She turned to look at Dean. "Oh, shit."

Sam's look was just as horrified as he turned to look at Dean too.

"What?" Dean downed the rest of his beer. "Aw shit."

"Does he even have any Leviathan that need better bodies than what they have? Does he really have a need for those higher ups, those fiancial and other business guys." Sam said.

"We don't know who Dick Roman, does or doesn't have and who he does or doesnt need. All we know is that he wants people that are high up on the scale and have alot of knowledge. This party is the perfect place to get people that are perfect for he needs. They are smart enough to be extremely useful to him, but not enough to overthrow him as the leader." Dean mused as the news broadcast about Dick Roman came to an end.

"When's the party? We need to know how much time we have to work with before this showdown." Sage said. This new thing with Dick Roman and the Leviathan causing her to feel a need to quickly finish her beer.

"Next month, the end of next month actually, the last saturday." Sam said, reading off the screen on a laptop that was laying on the table.

"So we have about a two month time window to work with. We need to get inside that party to make sure Roman doesn't do anything." Sage said, putting her empty beer bottle on the table.

"But how?" Dean spoke up from inside the fridge where he grabbed 3 more beers. "Dick knows both Sam and me. We wouldn't be able to get in that place without setting off major alarm bells." Dean climbed over the back of the couch and took his place between the two on the couch. He gave them each their beers and the three of them cracked them open on the edge of the coffee table.

"He's never met me before." Sage piped up taking a sip of her second beer. The taste was starting to grow on in a way that she couldn't explain.

"No way in hell Sage, you're not going anywhere near that party. We don't know how to kill Leviathan yet." Dean looked at her and shook his head. "No way."

"I've got to agree with Dean on this way. There is absolutely no way that you're going to that party. We don't want you in a room full of Leviathan and future Leviathan victims." Sam switched off the tv and turned his eyes on Sage.

"Guys i have to go. If i don't we won't know what Roman is planning to do and i'm the only one who can go, you both know that. I promise that he won't find out about me."

Both guys sighed. "You're probably right and we need to know all we can about his plans." Sam spoke running his hand through his hair.

"Sam!" Dean looked at him totally shocked. "You can't let her go! He'll figure her out and then he'll kill her!"

"In order to bring him down, she has to go to that party. He wouldn't be throwing it if he didn't have a reason." Sam tried to reason with his brother.

Sage nodded and finished off her second beer. "I have to go Dean."

Dean clenched his fists. He thought he was gonna lose Sage after barely having her in his life. "Fine. But you have to promise that you won't go anywhere near Dick Roman."

Sage looked into Dean's brown eyes as she spoke. "I promise i won't go near that asshole."

Dean nodded once, looking as satisfied as he could with a decision he didn't agree with. He chugged the rest of his beer. "I'm going to shower and then im going to bed." He pushed himself off the couch and went into the hall at the other side of the living room. There was the sound of a door being shut and then water running.

"Dean doesn't want me to go huh?" Sage pulled her legs up onto the couch and tucked them underneath her.

"No he doesn't and i don't either but i know it's the only way to know Roman's plans." Sam stretched his arms and laid them across the couch.

"i wouldn't do it if i didn't have to. i don't like Roman either. I'm gonna need to find a dress and some tattoo cover up as well. It wouldn't be too good if i showed up with a hunter's mark on my wrist." Sage reached over subconsiously and rubbed her wrist with the tattoo.

"Yeah that's true, if you forget to cover that up, it won't be a good thing. How's you arm doing?"

"Hmm?" Sage looked up at Sam.

"You're wrist. Where you cut yourself to prove that you weren't Leviathan?"

"Oh right. I havent looked at it since Dean bandaged it up." Sage slipped off her jacket and draped it across the arm of the couch. She looked at her arm and unwrapped the bandage that Dean made for her out of a strip of his shirt. She unwound and looked at the slash mark. It was red and there was dried blood on and around the wound. It was partially scabbed over. "It'll be fine once i wash the blood off."

Sam looked over at her arm. "You sure?"

"I'm a hunter Dean, i've had alot worse in my time." Sage shrugged and used the the strip of shirt to rewrap her wound. "How's your chest?"

"Check for me?" Sam looked at her and helped her tighten her bandage.

"You won't come on to me will you?" Sage smiled and lightly punched him in the arm.

"No i won't." Sam laughed too.

"Alright."

Sam pulled his shirt off and put it in his lap. Sage moved closer to him on the couch and took the spot where Dean was sitting before he went to take his shower. Sage lightly ran her nimble fingers across the slash marks on Sam's chest.

"Ouch, doesn't that hurt?"

"Eh, sorta, but it's okay, like you said i've had worse."

"You're gonna have to wash it but it looks okay." Sage said as she sat back on the couch.

Sam pulled his shirt back on and nodded. "i'll shower in a little bit once Dean's out."

"Hey Sam?" Sage looked at him with her piercing green eyes. "That old black journal that Dean had in the car, what was it?"

"It was a journal that belonged to our father. It contains all the cases that he's ever worked and some that he never got around to that we did together. It also has all the information on all the creatures that our father knew about. It's like the bible to Dean and i, we've always had it and it goes everywhere with us."

"So it's like your monster dictionary." Sage said.

The water in the shower stopped.

"Yeah, thats right." Sam took another swig from his second beer.

Dean opened the door to the bathroom and came back into the living room. He was wearing the same thing he did last time, dark wash jeans and his chest was bare except for a small towel he had over his shoulders. His hair was still wet.

Sage sucked in her breath. Would she ever get used to seeing Dean without a shirt, his nice, muscular chest totally revealed to her eyes?

"Don't feel like going to bed yet. Got any movies?" Dean grabbed another beer and sank down on the sofa, not bothering to put on a shirt.

"Probably some on tv." Sam reached for the remote but Dean grabbed it up before Sam was even close.

"Thanks for taking the remote you dick." Sam punched him in the arm while Dean flipped the tv on.

"You think that hurt?" Dean hauled up and punched his brother right back in the arm.

They laughed. It was like nothing changed between them even though Sage was now a part of their group.

"You pick something Sage." Dean turned to her and passed her the remote. She took it and their fingers brushed before he turned to Sam and punched him again.

She scrolled through the guide before finally finding some action movie about a spy who had been kicked out of his agency but he went rogue anyway.

"I bet you shoot better than he does." Dean said as he motioned toward the tv as the spy was engaged in a gun fight with someone from his old agency. The comment was directed at Sage.

She smiled. "I'm pretty sure i do too." She pushed Dean lightly and he laughed and pushed her back.

The movie ended while the three of them were pushing each other and laughing. they didn't notice the film was over until the action music came on and the credits started to roll. Sage grabbed the remote and turned the tv off stopping the music instantly.

"I think i'm gonna head to bed." She stood up and grabbed her jacket off the couch and her weapons off the table. "Where am i sleeping?"

"I'll show you. You can have my room and i'll take Bobby's old one." Sam stood and walked off down the hallway. Sage followed him into a room that contained a queen size bed, a closet, and a dresser with a lamp. There was a fan on the ceiling.

"You sure you don't care if i take your room?" Sage set her duffel bag down on the ground and her guns and knives on the dresser.

"No, i don't care Sage. It's no big deal. We're gone so much anyway." Sam shrugged and put his hands in his pocket.

"Okay." Sage laid her jacket on the only chair in the room while she sat down on the bed to take her boots off.

"Sage? Do you like Dean?" Sam asked his question quickly, like pulling off a bandaid.

"Of course. I like you both. You're great friends." She smiled and took her hair down for bed. She shook it out and put the hair tie down on the dresser.

"That's not what i meant Sage. I meant do you have feelings for him, beyond friendship?"

A door closed somewhere else in the house. Dean had gone to bed and he shut the lights off in the rest of the house.

Sage stood up and shut the door. "I just met him last night Sam, just like i met you. I only just talked to him today."

"That doesn't mean that you can't have feelings for him Sage. It's not like you have to know someone for very long for that."

"Why do you wanna know if i like Dean?" Sage sat back down on the bed.

"Because within the 24 hours that we've known you, i've seen you look at him. I think you like him Sage. And for the record, i think he likes you too."

"Maybe i do like Dean." Sage admitted. "But i haven't been close to someone since Tristan and he died, especially a guy."

"You know that Dean won't admit it as a fear, but he's afraid of losing people too. That's why he doesn't like close to people."

"He told me that when we talked in the car. Quid pro quo."

"It's just Dean and i now. Everyone else in our family is dead. We have you now, but it's just the three of us."

"That's alright. You and Dean are now the only family i have too." Sage sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Why don't you try to be with Dean?" Sam asked as he picked up her hair tie and played with it.

"I want to give it time. i want to get to know him better. It's only been a day Sam and it's not like either of us is going to go anywhere."

Sam nodded and replaced the hair tie on the dresser. "That's true."

"Goodnight Sam." Sage stood up and lightly kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight Sage." Sam smiled and closed the door behind him as he left and went to his new room.

Sage stripped down to her panties and put on her black pajama pants and a plain aqua tank top. She crawled beneath the covers of her new bed in her new house and turned off the light. She was glad that she had the guys now, meeting them was the best thing that happened to her for a long time.


	3. Sage Larouche, FBI

Sage woke up to the smell of coffee. She stumbled out of bed and pulled on a pair of dark wash ripped jeans and a black Seether concert tee. She brushed her hair and sprayed some dry shampoo into it. She then wondered out into the living room.

"Hey sleepy head," Sam said from his place at the make shift kitchen table. He was currently reading the newspaper, no doubt looking for more cases for them. She sensed that the Winchester's didn't wanna stay still for very long.

"Haha, very funny." Sage sank down on the couch beside Dean who had the TV on but wasn't partially watching it. She grabbed the cup of coffee off the table and took a long sip.

"That's mine you know." Dean said without turning away from the TV.

"Yeah, I know." Sage set the cup back down on the coffee table. She smiled at him. "I'll make you another one if I drink it all." She stuck her tongue out.

"Fine."

"He's not a morning person, just a head's up." Sam said from behind the paper.

"Thanks, I got that." Sage laughed and took another sip of Dean's coffee.

"What're you doing anyway Sam?" Sage turned around the couch, giving up on talking to Dean who was definitely not a morning person just like Sam had sad.

"Keeping up on the current events, looking for cases." Sam said as his eyes scanned the page. "Any strange murders could be caused by a monster and not actually by a human serial killer. Like this one, someone has been going around killing prominent artists in a town called Andersonville. The police suspect a rival artist who isn't nearly as good as they are, but it could be something else, I need to read the article to find out for sure." Sam licked his thumb and flipped through a couple pages until he found the rest of the story.

The room was silent for a while except for the sounds of the droning television and coffee mugs clinking against the table Dean went to take a drink of his coffee only to find the cup completely drained.

"Sage, you drank all my coffee." He slammed the cup back down, not hard like he was angry, but hard to make a point.

"Sorry." Sage stood up and grabbed the cup and carried it back into the kitchen where she sat it down and searched the cabinets for another cup. Finding one, she carried both cups over to the coffee maker in the corner and poured two new cups before returning to the couch. "All fixed."

Dean took the steaming cup she offered to him and drank a large swig. "What's the word on that story Sam?" Dean turned around and rested his arm on the back of the couch.

"I think we've got a case." Sam said, his index finger resting on his lips as he looked up at his brother. "Death's aren't similar enough to be a simple serial killer, besides the lack of evidence is unnerving."

Dean nodded as he thought it over. "You wanna take it?"

"I think we should. It's our job after all, doesn't seem that hard and we need to get in sync with Sage before taking a more serious case. Right now I'm thinking ghost. If there really isn't that much to go on then, it can't be anything close to human. So a ghost, a poltergeist, or a physic with some power, or possibly a witch with serious power. They've already called in the FBI so we shouldn't have any trouble getting into the scene. Same as always."

"When do we ship out?" Sage asked, already on her feet, her coffee cup in hand.

"Soon, we wanna be there before the real FBI who probably haven't even gotten word of the case yet." Sam spoke as he folded up his paper and shoved it into the back pocket of his jeans underneath his navy blue t-shirt.

Dean slipped out the living room while Sam gave Sage a run down on the case and their protocol. Sam was just finishing up when Dean came back into the room in full FBI garb. A black suit and black suit jacket with a white collared shirt underneath it and a plain black tie. Sage could see that he had a small handgun underneath his jacket, on his hip.

"Wanna see my credentials?" Dean gave Sage a smirk as he came into the living room where the other two members of his party stood.

"Why Dean, I hope that's not an innuendo." Sage laughed and walked over to look at the small back wallet that Dean held out. It contained his FBI credentials and his FBI badge. "Very official, looks just like mine."

"We have our experts." Dean laughed and put it back in his pocket

"As I have mine." Sage breezed past him. "I'll go change now so we can leave." She closed the door behind her.

The only outfit that Sage owned that was for the FBI was a black pencil skirt that went to slightly above her knee and had a little slit up the back. She also had a fitted black jacket with ruffling on the neck line, waist, and wrists. The shirt she wore underneath it was a crimson red blouse which she wore with the top two buttons left unbuttoned. She completed her outfit with 3 inch stiletto pumps, black of course. Sage quickly tied up her hair in a tight ponytail. She put her FBI credentials in her inside jacket pocket and attached her handgun to her hip. She left the room after grabbing her duffel bag and her knives and the machine gun. They would be left in the car during the official investigation but she never knew when she might need them.

Upon entering the room, she got whistles from both men, now in suits, who looked her up and down.

"You sure people take you seriously as a fed?" Dean asked her as she set her stuff down by the door with the reminder of the guys' things.

"Yes they do, well after first impressions." Sage turned and finished off her coffee that she had placed on the counter when she went to change, in one swift gulp. "We going or what?"

"We're going." Sam picked up his bag and Sage's off the ground before heading out the door. "You drive." He tossed the keys to Dean's baby which Dean easily swiped out of the air. He nodded.

Sage grabbed her weapons and followed Sam outside to the car with Dean following on her heels.


	4. The Assualt

When the hunters finally arrived at the scene of the most recent crime it was already crowded with local cops and media trying to get a scoop on the story. Other spectators were also gathered past the police tape. Dean took one look at the scene outside the small, double story house on the corner, it was red brick, and he turned the car down the other street and parked on the side of the road.

Sam climbed out of the passenger side door and held out his hand to help Sage out of the car since she was wearing her stilettos. She laid her delicate hand in his and let him pull her from the car. Dean came around the other side of the car and locked it up. Sage doubled check to make sure her weapons were hidden from view before following her partners back down the street towards the house that was so crowded with people.

"Come on people, move away from the tape." A dark haired cop was shooing people away from the yellow police tape.

Dean went first and walked right up to the police tape. Sam and Sage followed close behind. Sam took notice of all the looks that Sage got from men in the crowd who thought she was hot which meant that basically every man looked at her and some women even gave her envious looks, women who wanted to look like her.

"I said get away from the tape." The cop was angry; quickly turning back to the other officers he had control over.

"FBI" Dean pulled his badge from his jacket pocket and Sam did the same.

"Oh, sorry, chief will wanna talk to you guys." He lifted the table, looking red and embarrassed. Sam and Dean ducked beneath the tape and walked up the front steps of the house. Sage went to follow but the officer dropped the tape back and crossed his arms. "Where do you think you're going?" He looked her up and down. "You may be hot but that doesn't mean you get access to a police investigation or our scene. Now walk away and I'll watch."

"She's our partner." Dean came up beside the cop as he made his last comments to Sage. Dean saw the anger and the disgust cross over Sage's beautiful face and cloud her eyes.

"FBI" She pulled her badge and didn't even wait she walked underneath Dean's raised arm and the police tape. She clenched her fist and her heels clicked up the stairs. "Is he looking?"

Dean turned over his shoulder. "Yeah he is. He's scum, don't worry about it."

Sage nodded once and walked into the small entry way of the house. "I'll report him later. Why'd you come back anyway?"

"I saw you weren't with us and when I turned around you were talking to that cop. When i came back I saw the emotions that crossed your face." Dean led her down the hall and up the stairs into the bedroom. Sam was already standing beside the bed, talking to an older man with laugh lines and old style glasses.

"Thanks Dean." Sage gave him her signature smile as she entered the room.

"Oh, those are my partners." Sam gestured to his brother and the new girl. "Agent Smith, of no relation to myself and Agent ."

Both nodded when Sam gave their alias. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Chief Carl Franks. Thanks for coming so quickly, we didn't know if we could get you guys to come at all." He shook Dean and Sage's hand respectively.

"So what are the details about the case?" Sage asked leaning her weight on one leg and laying her finger on her pouty bottom lip, a gesture that she did subconsciously when she thought.

"This woman was a prominent artist, she was new to the scene, a painter who painted landscapes and beautiful flowers, some portraits too. Her name is Maria Clarkson. The last anyone saw of her was the night before yesterday at a small art gallery in town where she was showing off her work. Yesterday she did take phone call from her house on her cell phone and that was at 8 o'clock. When her boyfriend came over last night at around 2 am he found her dead, just where she is now. He called the police and you guys got here just in time to help out with this new murder and the couple others as well."

There was crime scene guys scouring the room and the rest of the house looking for any sort of clues that might lead to Maria's murderer but it appeared that like the paper reported, there wasn't really anything to find about evidence except for evidence of Maria and her boyfriend, Teddy Davids, or in the other cases those victims and their loved ones.

"And Davids didn't do it?" Dean said.

"Oh no, his alibi totally checked out, he was at work at the hospital all night long until he clocked out at 1:45 am."

"Does Clarkson have any enemies?" Sam posed one of the questions an investigator would ask.

"Not that I know of, I didn't know her very well but from what I can tell she was very well liked amoung everyone in town. Her boyfriend might be of more help in that department."

"Thanks, we'll take our own look around if you don't mind." Sam told him.

The Chief nodded and motioned for his officers to leave the room and allow the FBI agent's to do their job. The police team left and closed the bedroom door behind them.

Maria was lying out on the bed, clearly her place of death. Her brown eyes were open, totally dead inside; her body was stuck through with heavy duty nails that would be used to hang heavy paintings, the kind that Maria would paint. There was no nail gun to be found. She also had painted splattered across her body.

"So any ideas on what did this?" Dean said as he walked around the room looking for anything that might lead them to the creature that was on a serial killing spree.

"Can't be human." Sage commented as she leaned over for a closer look at the body. "Without a nail gun, humans wouldn't have the strength to drive the nails in that far, we're looking for something with more power, supernatural power belonging to something inhuman."

"Witch or a physic?" Dean said as he picked up a journal on the bedside table and thumbed through.

"No trace of the magic that would be needed to do this kind of damage." Sam said, "I've walked this whole room and I didn't find anything that mean it was the work of either one."

"So a ghost or a poltergeist." Sage said curling a strand of her ponytail around her finger.

"Or a human controlling a ghost." Dean's eyes were focused on a page in the journal, scanning whatever entry was written there.

"They'd have to have the bones then." Sage reasoned, "It could be any ghost."

Sam looked around the room with a close, studious eye. "But it was a ghost."

Sage turned on her heel and looked at him. "Why does it have to be a ghost?"

"You noticed the room didn't you?" Sam gestured around the room and spun in a slow circle. "It's clean, really clean."

"Too clean to be a poltergeist. They're chaotic and leave messes that look like a hurricane came through and destroyed everything." Sage nodded remembering some more of her hunter knowledge.

"We just have to find the ghost." Dean closed the journal and put it in the jacket on the inside of his suit jacket. "There might be something useful in this journal."

"Let's start with the boyfriend, maybe he knows someone who knew Maria and died who had hard feelings about her." Sam as he looked over the body again.

"What about the other victims? They wouldn't all be someone who hated Maria, that doesn't make sense." Dean said as he walked over to the bedroom window and looked outside.

"Damn, I forgot. What about an art dealer that they ripped off? They were all artists." Sage paced the room while she thought about the cases.

"Could be, could also be a rival artist who's jealous of the victims." Dean reasoned, "Could be any number of dead people, of living people controlling dead people."

"Why don't we talk to the local police, see if they have any suspects even though they think it's a serial killer." Sam walked over to the door.

"As long as that cop from outside is nowhere around I'm totally fine with that." Sage ran her hand over her foreman.

"Wait, what cop? What happened?" Sam turned around and locked the door real fast.

"No big deal Sam, I can handle it." Sage put on her brave face and looked at his face.

"The cop running guard duty outside by the police tape, verbally assaulted her. Called her hot and said he wanted her to walk away so he could watch." Dean retold the shortened story of what happened outside the house before Dean came to her rescue, much as she really didn't wanna admit it.

"What? You okay Sage?" Sam looked at her and lightly grabbed her arm.

"I'm fine, but thanks. He's just a regular scumbag." Sage straightened her skirt and reached around Sam who opened the door. "Let's go do some more work on the case."

Sage walked out into the hallway followed by Dean who held a protective arm a few inches from the small of her back. Sam closed the door behind him and followed them down the stairs. He noticed that Dean held his hand close to Sage's back but he was careful not to let it touch. It was as if Dean hadn't decided whether or not he really liked Sage in that way. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Dean moved his hand and put both hands in his pants pocket. The chief of police had gathered a few officers with him in the kitchen and they were no doubt going over the details of case and how it related to others and how they were planning to proceed.

Sage's bright green eyes narrowed when she noticed that among the group collected in front of them was the cop from outside, the creep who basically hit on her. Dean noticed him right away, his back turned to the hunters as were most of the cops and even the ones who were facing them were otherwise engaged in conversation and looking at documents laid out on the table. Sage clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white and then she grabbed Sam's wrist. He looked down at her in confusion. With her free hand, she pointed in the direction of Dean's gaze where his eyes were boring holes in the man's back.

"That's the creepy cop." She whispered to Sam before releasing her hold on his wrist. Dean nodded when Sam looked over to him to be sure.

Sam looked back at her and held her eyes for a moment before clearing his throat and stepping into the kitchen. "We're gonna need copies of the case files from the other murders that are related and also of this one."

The chief looked up from he was poring over documents. "Yes of course. I'll have you follow Detective Stevens back to the precinct and he will get you a copy of everything you need." The chief went back to his work without giving them a second thought.

The man presumed to be Detective Stevens stepped away from the other group and passed past the hunters on his way to the front door.

"I'll meet you guys outside in a minute." Sam said as he glanced back at the kitchen.

Dean and Sage gave him a puzzled look but walked outside and down the front steps into the town regardless. Sage's heels clicking the whole way and Dean's hands buried in his pockets.

"Our partner's gonna be a minute." Sage smiled softly and looked back at the house.

Stevens shrugged. He was in no hurry to do anything.

Back in the house Sam caught the eye of the guard cop from outside and motioned him over where he lead him out the back door and into the tiny yard, that barely qualified as a yard.

"What do you want?" The cop asked clearly irritated at being pulled away from the discussion.

Sam didn't say anything for a moment instead as a response he hauled back and punched him square in the face.

"Dude! You just assaulted a police officer!" The cop was totally outraged, holding his bloody nose and screaming like a lunatic.

"That's the only warning you're gonna get, stay away from my partner or next time it's gonna be worse." Sam glared at him.

"Next time? There won't be a next time. You can't assault an officer of the law!"

"I'm FBI and you assaulted my partner, so actually I am allowed to do that." Sam shoved his hands into his pocket and turned to walk away.

The cop growled. "She sure is a fine piece of ass that one, feisty I can tell. I would give anything to see her naked and screw her all night long. Not that i bet you and your partner haven't thought about her that way. Hell, maybe you've both done her! What a slut!"

Sam's blood was boiling now. He turned around, his dark eyes ablaze. "Don't talk about her that way!" This time the punch went to the cop's jaw line, harder than the first. Being a hunter had its advantages in a human fight. "If you say one more thing about her I'll give you something that you will never forget."

Sam punched him in the nose once more before bounding up the back staircase and going back into the kitchen. He adjusted his tie and his shirt once more before speaking. "One of your men is outside and I suggest you get him under control. He made a pass at my partner and said some very crude things about her. I want him terminated from the force and away from Agent at all times."

The chief went over to the back door and opened it.

"I did punch him a few times but he wouldn't leave her alone and he kept up with the comments. It's within my rights since he was harassing and assaulting my partner." Sam spoke calmly to the aging chief.

"You're right. Thank you Agent, I'll handle him."

Sam ducked out at that moment and exited through the front door where Dean and Sage stood at the bottom of the stairs flipping through entries in the journal Dean took from Maria's room. They both gave him a questioning look when he came up beside them but he shook his head.

The cop waiting to escort them to the precinct was already in his car and Dean had already gone back to pull his own car around beside the cruiser. "I'll drive." He said as he climbed into the front seat.

Sam went around to the other side and opened the door for Sage who slid in before the door closed behind her.

"So what'd you do?" Dean asked looking in his rearview mirror once Sam climbed in and shut the door behind him. He pulled out behind the police car and carefully navigated through all the people and onto the main road toward the station.

"I took the dirty cop outside and gave him a lesson, fists first." Sam smiled and shrugged.

"You beat up a cop for me just because of some pig headed things he said?" Sage turned in her seat and looked at Sam.

"He deserved it of course," Sam reasoned as Dean drove through the streets following the police car to the station.

"Of course he did, he's supposed to be a cop, not act like the criminals he's supposed to put away." Dean's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel and clenched his teeth together.

Sage glanced sideways at him but she didn't say anything as they continued to drive in silence.

When they finally pulled up in the precinct they got a bigger idea of how the town wasn't very big. The precinct was a single story building with only three police cars in the lot and only two other ones at the house where Maria died.

Dean's knuckles were still clenched in a fist when he stepped out of the car and slammed the door before following the detective into the station in a rather angry manner. Sage stepped out of the car and closed the door behind as Sam climbed out behind her.

"Dean's pissed." She remarked smoothing out her skirt and walking to the doors.

"That's a regular mood for him believe it or not." Sam shrugged and put his hands in his suit pockets.

"I'm beginning to realize that. Why's he so pissed anyway?"

"That cop that isn't following the law as well as he should, the one who verbally assaulted you, that's why he was so pissed off" Sam could read Dean pretty easily since they had been together for so long that and it was pretty obvious this time why he was so angry. He didn't blame Sage for not knowing since she had only been with them for a couple weeks.

"But you solved it, you punched him repeatedly in the face and told the sheriff about what he did, it's all okay now." Sage smiled softly and laid her hand on Sam's arm for a moment.

"Yeah I know I did, but Dean wanted the satisfaction of doing it himself, he still does actually." Sam pulled open the door to the station and looked over to the interrogation room where he could see Dean and Detective Stevens sorting through files on the table.

Sage dropped her hand from Sam's arm and walked in through the open door. All eyes turned to look at them but they then returned to whatever work they had been doing before the other two agents walked into station.

"Why?" Sage turned back to Sam.

"It's a Dean thing, especially if he likes you Sage and I think he does."

Sage looked across the room to the room with the windows on the inside. Dean was pouring over documents and pictures on the table, his index finger posed over his bottom lip as he thought. Sage had already looked away when Dean looked up because he felt her looking at him.

"I have yet to understand why you think he does have feelings for me." Sage stopped inside the doorway and grabbed Sam's wrist pulling him to a stop beside her.

"I've known Dean for a long time Sage, he's my big brother, I can tell these things based on how he acts, he's different around you Sage, he really is." Sam looked into Sage's bright green eyes as he spoke to her. "I've seen you look at him too Sage."

Sage pulled her gaze from Sam's and couldn't help but risk a glance back at Dean.

"Just like that." Sam gestured to the room. "You can't tell me there isn't something there between you two."

Sage shrugged slightly but smiled as well. "Maybe there is Sam, but it's still too early to find out. I'm still getting used to life with you guys and having partners. I do have some kind of feelings for Dean, but I haven't sorted them out yet and I need more time to figure it all out."

Sam smiled as he lightly pulled on Sage's hand and they started walking to the back room. "I knew you felt something for him." Sam laughed.

Sage punched him in the arm. "Don't tell Dean, if it does work out with us I want it to be in our own time."

Sam nodded. "I wouldn't think of telling him."

"I have to ask you something. Does it bother you that I like Dean?" Sage looked at him a moment.

Sam stopped within a few feet of the interrogation room; he was thankful that the door was shut so Dean couldn't hear Sage's question. He regarded her face for a moment before he sighed and told her the truth. "Honestly Sage, when I first suspected that you liked him yes it bothered me. You'd slept with me for god's sake. But I've gotten over it. You two would be good together and I do like you Sage, but not the way Dean does. We could both make you happy Sage, but Dean would be far better at it than me." Sam paused and smiled at her. "Besides, I'll find someone that I can really connect with and I'll know when I find her, like you and Dean."

Sage's brow furrowed briefly while she thought about Sam's confession. She nodded slowly. "She's gonna be one lucky girl once you find her Sam." Sage winked and opened the door to the interrogation room.

Dean had not noticed the intimate conversation between Sage and his brother but Officer Stevens had, not that he really cared. He just amused that the pair was sleeping together and hiding it from their other partner, not that it was any of his business since he was guilty of the same thing. The officer simply shrugged and excused himself from the room once the other two agents entered.

Dean looked up from a file he held open in his hands and motioned from Sam to shut the door.

"Find anything useful?" Sage went to stand beside him and glanced over his shoulder, or his arm technically, at the file in his lap. The name read Victor Cruz.

"For us, not a thing. Two other victims beside's Maria, a Victor Cruz and a Sarah Fatale. Victor was drowned in a tub of paint that he was using to create his mural and Sarah was suffocated with the same canvas that contained her most recent art work." Dean Retold the only useful things that he had discovered since arriving at the precinct.

"Artist hater." Sam remarked as he stored the case details in his mind.

"So you're saying the killer hates artists?" Sage said.

"Makes sense doesn't it? Why else would he only kill artists?" Dean answered before Sam could. "He even kills them with their own art supplies."

"Okay so, angry dead artist or angry terrible artist using a ghost." Sage reasoned as she licked her lips and slowly nodded her head.

Sam pulled the blinds shut on the interrogation room so the remaining police officers could not see what they were working on inside the room. Dean pulled the beat up black journal from his jacket pocket and opened it up on the table.

"We can search through this right now but we'll need to get more information from Bobby's old book." Dean said already searching through the journal looking for information on ghosts and controlling ghosts.

"You ever dealt with this before?" Sage crossed her arms and leaned her weight on one hip as she scanned the files on the table with her eyes.

"Yeah, we have. It was a man controlling a ghost that was killing psychics." Sam said, remembering that old case that he and Dean had worked together.

"What happened?"

"We dug up the body to burn the bones except that they bones were already gone. A man had taken them and hid them and was using them to control the woman's ghost. Sam almost got shot when he accidently tracked the man down and found the bones in his bed, all except the skull that was on his desk." Dean spoke up as he turned the page of the journal that discussed how ghosts could be controlled.

Sage nodded as she listened. She picked up one of the numerous papers from the table and looked it over. "Wasn't this the same gallery that Maria was supposed to be showcasing her work, the art contest?"

Sam looked over her shoulder while Dean didn't even appear to have heard her. "I think so actually."

"Victor Cruz was also supposed to be in that art contest. And get this, if the artist doesn't appear at the contest for any reason, even death, they are voided from the contest and their work is not shown." Dean looked up from the journal and looked at Sage who gave him a look wondering how he knew that.

"It's in the files of the victims that they were entering the contest, the rules are outlined in the notes." Dean replied to Sage's look. She just nodded and went back to looking over the files on the table.

"Copy the files that we find useful and we'll head back to the hotel." Sam said as he started to head out of the room and talk to the remaining cops about the cases and other suspicions that they could have regarding the deaths. He closed the door behind hm.

Sage began gathering up files and quickly scribbling down details that seemed relevant onto a scrap of paper that she found on the table amongst the normal chaos of the table.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked from where he leaned against the table beside where Sage had sat down to scribble.

"Taking notes on important information to our case." Sage pulled another paper from the stack and scribbled some more.

Dean pulled some notes that the police officers had written off the table and folded them and placed them in his inside jacket pocket. "That's how I take notes."

Sage turned to look at him with a smile on her face. "That's literally taking notes." Sage finished her notes and shoved the loose papers back into their respective files and placed them in the case box on the table.

As she stood up, Sage pulled her skirt down from where it had ridden up when she sat down. The high skirt briefly revealed half of her shapely thighs and Dean couldn't help but notice them. He was still looking when Sage pulled it back down to the normal height of just above her knees. Not that it helped much, Sage had very shapely legs that every guy seemed to notice.

"Should we go?" Sage's musical voice brought Dean back from his thoughts about her legs. He said nothing as he followed her out of the interrogation room and watched her walk out of the precinct to where Sam stood with his hands in his pockets looking around town. He liked how she walked. Her hips swayed slightly from side to side and her hair swung too, opposite her hips. Dean realized that he couldn't stop thinking about her, that it was even hard to think around her. He briefly clenched his fists before releasing them and climbing into his old car beside Sam who had moved into the driver's seat. Sage was positioned on the middle seat in the back looking over the notes she took during the short ride to the only hotel in town. Dean lost count of how many times he looked at her in the rearview mirror.


	5. Sage's Exit

The hotel where they stayed was nothing special or unusual. It was just simple with only two stories and the rooms each contained two beds (doubles), one small desk, a bathroom, a tv, a mini fridge and a coffee maker. That was all that was in every room, there weren't even any suites at the hotel at all.

Sage tossed her duffel onto the floor at the foot of one of the beds and laid her guns out carefully on the bed itself. She turned as Dean grunted and dropped Bobby's old box of monster books and loose sheets of notes onto the desk.

"I never understood the need to take this box everywhere we go, it would make so much more sense if we just took dad's journal." Dean spoke to Sam who entered the room and locked the door behind him.

"We need all the information we can get our hands on when we are dealing with these creatures. You know that Dean. We don't have Bobby but we do have all the information he ever knew about monsters."

There was a soft thud throughout the room as Sage kicked off her stilettos and the hit the wall across from her. Sam and Dean followed her lead and shrugged out of their suit jackets and Sam loosed his tie at the neck whereas Dean just pulled his off and unbuttoned the first few buttons of his dress shirt.

"I hate monkey suits." Dean flopped down on the bed and removed his shoes using his feet. "If acting as a fed didn't get us so much useful information and a look at the case files, I wouldn't do it."

Sage stood up and slipped out her tight blazer so was wearing only the black pencil skirt and her crimson silk blouse. She walked over to the desk where Dean had dropped Bobby's old books and notes and even some sketches and began to dig through the box.

"So super angry ghost or super angry human controlling a ghost." Sage spoke softly, more to herself than to anyone else as she began flipping through an old book that was tattered at the spine and the pages were crumpled and folded from years of overuse.

Sam came up next to her and took the book from her hands. "Let's take a break huh? We don't have to look this up right now, besides we probably need more information from talking to others close to the victims in the first place." He closed the book and replaced in the box.

Sage narrowed her eyes for a moment but she didn't argue. Instead she simply smiled and sank down on the bed. "What is there to do in this tiny town besides work?" She blew out her mouth up towards her forehead and ruffled her hair.

Dean picked up the remote for the tv and flipped it on. He said nothing as he scrolled through the very few channels looking for anything or interest to watch before he finally settled on the nation news. Angered, he shut the tv off.

"It's all just more fake bull shit about Dick Roman. Can't even drink cause there's no beer."

Sage's eyes shot towards Dean. "Turn that back on."

He powered the tv back on while he asked, "Why? Do you really wanna know all the things he's doing to and seem like a good person?"

Sage took the remote from his hand and turned it up. "No, I want more information on his huge party that I'm supposed to be attending."

"You're still planning on doing that?" Dean grumbled, angry again.

"Yes, we need the extra information now shut up so I can hear."

Sam took a seat beside Sage since his brother laid sprawled out across the entire bed. He had a laptop with him and he was currently doing something on the internet that seemed highly illegal since he had code opened up on the screen as well.

"What are you doing?" Sage asked him as she continued to watch the tv for more information. It finally began to scroll across the bottom of the screen and Sage took mental notes.

"I'm getting you into that party." Sam bit his bottom lip as he typed quickly on his keyboard before opening another window to a ticket site. "Got it."

"One VIP ticket to Dick Roman's party, only cost a couple thousand dollars." Sam smiled triumphantly. "Your name is on the list Miss Vanessa Greene."

"A couple thousand dollars?" Sage drew in her breath.

"Relax, I used a John Smith's credit card and there are way too many John Smith's the bank will think it was a total mistake and no one will know about us. I've covered my tracks."

Sage looked sceptical but she said nothing after Sam explained it all to her. "All I need to do is tell them my name?"

"Yepp." Sam took the remote and flipped the tv off again.

"Have anything to wear?" Dean had his arm over his eyes, blocking out the light; his voice still had a bite to it.

"Of course not. I'll need to buy something and that's where you guys come in." Sage laughed lightly and winked at Sam who was the only one who was looking at her.

Dean shot up. "Am I the only one who thinks this is an awful idea? This isn't funny to me Sam!"

Sage's pupils enlarged slightly before she narrowed her eyes. "I can handle myself thank you very much Dean. I've been a hunter since I was a teenager remember? Trained since I was a child remember? You've seen my weapons, you've seen me save both your asses so don't treat me like I'm incapable of handling Dick Roman and his party!" Sage stood and stormed out of the room slamming the door shut behind her.

"You're an ass Dean. You know perfectly well that she has to go and that she'll be fine. Besides we'll be nearby if she needs us. She'll know the proper precautions before she goes to the party." Sam snapped at Dean who was still fuming from Sage's swift exit.

"She's gonna get herself killed Sam! Don't you care?" Dean stood up and kicked one of his shoes hard against the wall leaving a small dent.

"Damn it Dean! Of course I care but she's gonna be fine, she has just as much experience as we do." Sam sighed and ran his fingers through his hair in a quick angry manner.

"Are you forgetting all the times that one of us has almost gotten killed or both of us for that matter?"

"No I'm not forgetting that but we didn't die Dean, we're both still here so we handled everything fine, we've been hurt but we're still alive."

Dean pursed his lips and said nothing for a moment. "I don't like the idea of her being at that party Sam, with Dick freaking Roman!"

"Neither do I but it's our best chance, you know that as well as I do. Now go find her and tell her you're sorry." Sam turned back to his computer and began scrolling through pages on the screen.

"How am I even gonna know where she went? It's a small town but that's still a lot of ground to cover and buildings to check."

"Start walking."

Dean pulled his shoes on but left the rest of his disheveled look another. He took one look at Sam who said nothing as he left the room.

He didn't really think Sage could have gotten too far from the hotel since she didn't know the town and she was still barefoot, no building would have let her in without shoes. He turned down the first street he saw and started looking for the beautiful woman in the black pencil skirt and crimson blouse with no shoes.

It was a few hours later with absolutely no sign of Sage that Dean stumbled across the town bar. It was crowded with people since it appeared to be the only bar in town but Dean only noticed one right away, the woman with long dark hair in the pencil skirt and crimson blouse.

Sage had stormed off and into the bar in hopes of finding a real drink that wasn't beer and fuming to herself. She wasn't expecting the one person she both dreaded seeing and hoped to see would find her. Dean sat down on the vacant bar stool beside Sage.

"You're a hard person to track down." Dean said, a bite to his voice although it couldn't be classified as anger.

"Maybe it's because I didn't wanna be found. I was coming back you know." Sage swirled the contents of her glass before downing the rest of her raspberry vodka.

"I know." Dean motioned for the bartender. "Beer."

"Why'd you come looking for me?"

"Why'd they let you in here without shoes on? Dean countered, avoiding her question because he didn't know which answer to give her.

"I'm hot Dean and I know that sounds vain, but it's always been that way. They don't really care that I'm not wearing shoes. So why'd you come?" Sage wrapped her delicate hands around her glass and looked into it.

"I was an ass to you. Your right, you've been doing this basically as long as we have and you did save our asses with that werewolf, we didn't save you." Dean chose the simple answer, the one that didn't reveal the feelings he might have for her.

"I'll take that as your apology." Sage looked up from her glass and met Dean's intense gaze.

Dean took a long sip of beer before he said anything more to her. "Are you serious about going to this party?"

Sage's eyes flashed fire but she answered him anyway. "Yes, we need the information that this party could give us."

"Are you scared?"

"Dean… it's hunting, it's our job. I'm not really scared of much anymore. I don't have anyone to lose right now because I already lost them…" Her words cut the air between them like a knife, sharp, quick, and unexpected. "Another raspberry vodka!"

"What was he like?" He didn't really know about Tristan or Sage and Tristan but at the same time he was curious about why Sage had had such strong feelings about him and a part of him wanted to know if he had a chance.

Sage's eyes took on a sad sparkle and she gave a weak smile. "I don't wanna talk about Tristan."

Dean nodded and chugged half of his beer.

Sage leaned closer to him and rested her cheek on her palm. She took a sip of her drink and spoke softly. "Your eyes tell more about you than you wish they did."

"Hmm?" Dean slowly breathed in. She smelled good, like cinnamon and vanilla.

"I can see sadness in your eyes Dean which is something I can tell you don't want people to see in you. I can your anger too, at your brother, at yourself, at Cas. What I don't see is happiness, that spark that people have when they're truly happy and have things to live for. Where'd that go Dean?"

Sage's bright green eyes met his own hazel ones. She was only inches away from him now, seeing into his souls and the deeper parts of himself that he tried to keep hidden deep within his soul so no one would know him that way, to be vulnerable. But yet, here was this woman who already knew him so well after only a couple weeks and she was so close, all he had to was move a little bit. He whispered, "That part of me died a long time ago…"

Dean closed his eyes and slowly leaned towards Sage, taking that leap of faith where you will either fly or fall and he couldn't turn back now. Sage's piercing eyes fluttered and she moved forward too. There could feel the other's light breathing against their face and their lips had almost met until Sage's cell phone buzzed on the bar beside her. She snapped her eyes open and pulled away. She busied herself reading the text even though it was simple she read it over and over and over again so she wouldn't have to think about what had almost happened with Dean. It was from Sam and it simply said _are you okay?._

Sage quickly typed her reply _no…_

Dean had already turned away from her and chugged the last of his beer. He just wondered would Sage have kissed him if it wasn't for that text and would she have regretted it and what if they had kissed, what would have happened. Would he have just been a one time only deal like it was with her and Sam or would he be something to her? Did she have feelings for him? Did he have feelings for her? Each question just brought more question until he was deep in thought, still sitting at the bar beside the one woman he could have feelings for but yet totally removed as well.

Sam was quick to respond to Sage's message as she was having her internal freakout in her head must like Dean was. _Do you wanna talk about it?... :/_

_Maybe later but right now I have to think…._

_I'll be here if you need me._

Sage closed the phone and quickly drank the remainder of her vodka. She pulled a couple dollars from her pocket and left them on the counter. "We should go back now."

With Sage's whispered words Dean was brought back to the bar and out of his what if scenarios.

"You go. I'll catch up later. You and Sam probably need to make some party plans out anyway." Dean couldn't look at her.

Sage's face fell even though Dean couldn't see it. "Oh, alright. See you later." With that Sage slowly breezed out of the bar and walked off in the direction of the hotel, her heart heavy and her mind cluttered.

"Why didn't you kiss her?" The bartender asked as he placed another beer in front of Dean.

"I couldn't." Dean took a drink and rocked the bottle back and forth.

"I don't understand there was something there with you two." He replied leaning into the car and crossing his arms.

"Maybe there is but I don't know."

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say, I let that opportunity slip away from me." Dean sighed.

"She's special, don't let her go." The bartender nodded towards the direction Sage had left.

Dean nodded already thinking about what the bartender had said and searching his heart to understand and figure out how he felt.


	6. What They Did

Sage slammed the hotel room door behind her and dropped her head into her hands. She sighed heavily.

"What's with you?" Sam looked at her and put down the book that he was looking through. "Where'd you go anyway?"

Sage went over to the other bed and fell back onto to it, she closed her eyes and just laid there. "The only bar in town, tossed back a couple raspberry vodkas before Dean showed up looking for me."

"That's good."

"Not really." Sage felt the bed move as Sam sat down beside her.

"Why not? What happened at the bar?"

Sage opened her eyes and looked at Sam who appeared to actually be concerned about her.

"We were talking, but then we almost kissed…" Sage closed her eyes again to avoid the look on Sam's when she said it.

"He kissed you? I told you he likes you Sage." Sam couldn't keep the smile out of his voice.

Sage pushed herself up on her elbow and looked at Sam who was smiling. "No he didn't kiss me. I said we almost kissed, you texted me and I broke it off."

"Damn it!"

"It's for the best Sam, I can't get involved with him, we work together!" Sage groaned again and fell back onto the bed.

Sam said nothing for a moment before he spoke again. "He's actually opening up to you and letting you in. Don't shut him out, I know you care about him a lot."

"That doesn't matter. The last person I cared about was killed because of me!" Sage bolted up on the bed and swung her legs over the side. She stood quickly and went to the minifridge and angrily pulled the door open. The fridge was stocked with different sodas as well as lots of alcohol. "Dean clearly didn't check for beer earlier." Sage pulled out a bottle of vodka, twisted the cap off, and took a huge drink straight up right out of the bottle. "Woah! That's strong!"

Sage strolled back to the bed where Sam was still sitting, watching her anxiously.

"Should you really be drinking that straight?"

"I can if I want to, I just reminded myself of one of the most horrible things that's ever happened to me, I think I'm allowed to have another drink."

"Where's Dean?" Sam tried to ignore the fact that she quickly took another swig from the bottle before placing it on the table between the two beds.

"He was at the bar when I left. He told me that he would come back later." Sage's voice took on a sad, wistful tone.

"What're you gonna do?"

"Put it behind me. It's in the past Sam. Besides I don't want to risk falling in love again and losing him. I wouldn't be able to take that again. There's a reason hunters are alone and it's because everyone close to them is in danger and ends up getting killed. I can't lose Dean, you either, but it's different for you. You're just my friend, Dean is something more." Sage took another drink from the vodka bottle.

"It would be different being with him than being with me."

"Sam, that night all those weeks ago was fun, it really was, but it won't ever be more than that one night. With Dean, if it happens, I don't want it to be like that. I don't want it to be some one night stand with a friend you work with."

Sam nodded. "You're a change in him Sage."

Sage said nothing as she took another drink from the bottle just as the door to the hotel room opened and Dean came in. His eyes fell on Sage and he held her gaze for a moment before closing the door and locking it up for the night.

"Hey," Sam said as he stood up and went over to the book on the table.

"Hey," Dean sat down on the bed opposite Sage and looked at her, sadly.

She passed the vodka bottle across the table to Dean who took it and drank from it just as Sage had done.

"Let's get some work done." Sam said clapping his hands together and tossing some books onto the foot of one of the beds.

Sage picked up her blazer and pulled her notes from her pocket and also grabbed the files that Dean had stolen from the police station.

"It could be a rival artist from the art show. Someone who didn't stand a chance at winning unless the front runners were taken out of the contest and the only way they saw to do it was murder." Sage guessed as she tapped a pen against her bottom lip and paced the room silently.

"Could be the ghost of an artist who has won that show before who doesn't want his title given away from other artist that could be better than him." Dean elaborated on Sage's theory, changing it to fit a ghost and not a human.

"Well whoever it is is trying to make a statement by killing the artist with pieces of their own artwork." Sage jumped in reading through the files from the police.

"So tomorrow we talk to the other contestants in the art contest." Sam said pulling off his shirt and tie.

"Dude, really? You're not gonna to the bathroom to do that?" Dean tossed a book at Sam when he started to unbutton his pants in favor of sweats to sleep in.

Sam went ahead and changed into sweats anyway. "I didn't see a point. You're my brother and it's nothing new and Sage has already seen it before. No big deal." Sage just rolled her eyes and laughed lightly despite her troubled heart.

She stood and grabbed her bag before she padded softly to the bathroom and shut the door, turning on the shower as she went.

Sam picked up the files and notes that Sage had out and put them in the box on top of the book that he was flipping through. "What happened with you and Sage at the bar tonight?"

Dean turned quickly to Sam and his eyes blazed briefly. "Why does it matter really? Nothing is gonna come out of it." Dean once again tossed his shoes to the floor and grabbed the vodka bottle again before taking a long swig.

Sam finished taking off his pants before pulling on some worn gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. "Come on Dean, Sage said you almost kissed her."

"So what Sammy?" Dean stood up holding the bottle in one hand and balling his other hand into a fist. "I did almost kiss her, I wanted to kiss her but it didn't happen okay? That's it, that's all that happened."

"You open up to her Dean, you let her in."

"And not all of that is on purpose! She is very good at reading people and getting below the surface. I open up to her without realizing it because she can see through me." Dean passed the vodka to Sam who took a swig.

"Why did you kiss her?"

"Why are you so hung up on what did or didn't happen between me and Sage? I don't ask you for details about what happened between the two of you when you slept together!"

"Because nothing happened! We slept together, she's an excellent lover, and there were no feelings behind it. Now why didn't you kiss her?"

Dean yanked the bottle back from Sam and took another drink. There was now only half of it left. "Because her phone went off okay? I was gonna kiss her but she pulled away and answered her phone instead. I left the moment pass me by Sam and I couldn't get it back, that's what happened. Are you happy now?"

"Are you gonna give up on her Dean?" Sam looked at his older brother, actually looked at him and briefly glimpsed things in him that only Sage had seen before.

"I don't know Sam, I should but I don't want to. I can't explain what it is that I feel for her but there's something there, more so than anyone before. Can we stop talking about her?" Dean took one last swig of the vodka, so used to alcohol that he wasn't even buzzed, and laid down on the bed.

"Don't give up on her Dean. She likes you, just like you like her. I know that she wants to be with you."

"Don't play matchmaker Sammy. If Sage and I are gonna end up together, we can figure it out on our own."

Sam just nodded while Dean thought about Sam said. He didn't plan on giving up on Sage but he also didn't know what he was gonna do about her beyond working together. Sam had said that Sage wanted to be with him but did she really? She had almost kissed him until her phone went off. Sometimes he thought he could see her feelings in her eyes but then the feeling would flash away and leave her beautiful eyes. Although Dean would never admit to it Sam and he would barely admit it to himself but he knew that he felt more for Sage than he had ever felt for another woman. Maybe he'd admit it to Sage at some point but now wasn't the right time. Little did he know that Sage was actually thinking close to the same thing while she had that little bit of alone time.

"You know there are only two beds right?" Sam said as he replaced the vodka in the minifirdge.

"Dude, so?" Dean closed his eyes and laid his arm over his eyes. He was still thinking about him and Sage in the back of his mind but he had mostly put it aside for the moment.

"That means someone has to sleep with someone else. It's not like back at the cabin where there are still 3 beds and 3 bedrooms."

"Right. Who's sleeping with who?"

"What're we talking about?" Sage asked as she came out of the bathroom towel drying her hair. She was dressed in black cotton short shorts and an Escape the Fate black tank top.

Both Sam and Dean turned to look at her upon hearing her voice in the room. Neither of them had noticed when the shower got shut off. They both took her in and their jaws practically fell to the floor.

"What?" She said wringing out her hair and shaking it out over her shoulder as she sat down crosslegged on the bed that Dean was currently laying on.

"We need to figure out who's sleeping with who." Sam said standing again and pulling even more things out of the box of supernatural information.

Sage laughed lightly, her voice sparkling at she took Sam's comment to have a sexual meaning. "Just put me anywhere, as long as I've got somewhere somewhat comfortable to sleep." She smiled, her signature big beautiful smile.

Dean raised himself up on his elbow at her presence on his bed. His hazel eyes caught her own bright green ones which still flashed with some emotion that still remained in her eyes from the bar even though it wasn't far from her heart or her mind. Sage's eyes were still shocking to look into even after Dean had been around her for a couple of months. Just as quickly as he caught sight of the lingering emotion in her eyes and in her face she turned away and looked back to Sam.

"She could share my bed with me." Sam volunteered the offer while he continued to work.

Dean gave him a look over Sage's shoulder that very firmly said 'hell no'.

"I guess I could, I mean I have once before." Sage let the words slip out of her mouth before she realized what she had said. Dean already knew that she had slept with Sam but that didn't mean that she wanted to bring it up regularly.

"Dean and I could always share a bed." Sam sighed heavily and considered getting the vodka out again but decided against it.

Dean said nothing. He knew that of the two options that was by far the better choice. He nodded to Sam before stealing a quick glance at Sage's face. The woman of mystery, keeping things locked away until she felt like letting someone in and sharing with them. Something she had done to an extent with Sam and even more so with Dean.

Sage smiled but made no effort to move to her bed. "So what time are we leaving tomorrow, to track down our suspects that is?"

"When we get up, same as always." Dean gave her a cocky smile and got up off the bed. Like Sam, he unbuttoned his collared shirt and tossed his onto the floor by his duffel bag revealing his chiseled chest muscles and his strong arms; it was a sight that Sage hadn't seen for a couple of weeks since the last time that Dean went into the kitchen right after taking a shower looking for some coffee. It was something that Sage wished she could see more often. He also unzipped his black suit pants and pulled them off. Sage attempted to avert her eyes so she didn't see Dean in his boxers but she would be kidding herself if she said that she didn't want to see it. She watched him as he searched for whatever it was that he was planning on sleeping in. She had to admit that she was just as impressed as she was with his chest and arms. He had strong legs and he looked really good in his boxers, really good. Sage bit her lower lip.

Dean pulled on black sweatpants and turned to look at her. He gave her another cocky when he saw her watching him. Sam had already crawled into one of the beds and shut all of the lights off in the room except for one. Dean sat back down on the bed next to Sage. Although the two of them had been casual enough and could joke around there was still something between them that needed to be addressed. Dean wasn't much into talking about feelings or bringing up things that were better left to be buried in his opinion and for that matter Sage wasn't either. She also kept things hidden, a lot of things hidden actually. Neither of the two said anything for a while but Sage knew that one of them would have to bring it up at some point, they couldn't just ignore the large elephant in the room forever.

"Dean," Sage spoke slowly as she pulled a black ponytail holder off of her slender wrist and quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

He turned to look at her, both of them thinking back to that moment that almost happened between them at the bar only a couple of hours before the moments they were sharing now.

"About the bar earlier," Sage began, pulling her legs back underneath her and turn so she was sitting across from Dean.

"What Sage? Are you gonna say you almost kissed me because you were drunk? Because if that's what you're gonna say then just don't." Dean's voice was a little harsh but not unrightly so.

"I wasn't drunk Dean, I've had a lot to drink throughout my life. In fact when I wasn't hunting as a teenage I was out getting drunk quite often, I was afraid that I wouldn't have time to enjoy myself like a teenager was supposed to so I partyed a lot. Just drinking mostly, I never had sex with anyone although I did make out with a couple guys and a few girls too. I know how to hold my liquor, it takes quite a lot now to get me drunk much how it probably is for you. I wasn't drunk at the bar Dean."

"Then what happened?" Dean wondered what Sage was gonna say even as he asked the question.

"I don't know Dean, we had a moment."

"We almost kissed Sage."

"I know."

"Why didn't it happen?"

"My phone went off. I answered it and what would have been just fell away."

"We could try again." Even as he said it, Dean wondered what he was doing talking to Sage that way. He wanted to kiss her but at the same time he didn't want things between them to be awkward especially since they were gonna be working together for what was hopefully a long time. That and he never talked to a woman like that. Sage made Dean a different person when she was around, mostly when it was just the two of the them. They both had feelings about the other that they were not willing to completely admit.

"Dean, we should-" Sage was cut off quickly as Dean leaned in and kissed her. He laid his hand on her neck and used the other to brace himself against the bed by her side. Sage was shocked at first but then she kissed him back, letting her hand run over his bare chest and rest on his shoulder. Sage liked feeling her hand slide over the curves of his muscles. Kissing Dean was completely different than it was when she had kissed Sam. There was a spark, probably due to the feelings that growing in the hearts of both of them because Dean felt the spark too.

Sage slowly pulled away, her heart racing and she quickly tried to recover her thoughts. "Dean, we shouldn't have."

Dean looked at her, slightly shocked that she had pulled after she had actually kissed him. "Why not?"

Sage sighed. "Dean, it pains me to admit this but I'm scared. I lost Tristan because I'm a hunter and that's what killed him. It's too soon to risk losing someone else that I care so much about."

"I'm a hunter too you know. I'm not like Tristan, I can take care of myself. Sammy and I have been doing it just as long as you have."

"I know that but I'm still not ready for something yet."

Dean said nothing for a moment he just looked at her. He watched her bright green eyes look up at him before looking away.

"I do have feelings for you Dean, and that kiss was amazing, I've never been kissed like that before." She returned her eyes to Dean's and held his gaze.

Dean was quiet as her words soaked in. She admitted to having feelings for him, he never would have guessed that. Now he just wondered if he had the guts to tell her about his feelings. "Sage, I honestly don't know where I stand with you. I have feelings too, and they're hard to comprehend. I'm not a feelings kind of guy Sage but you make me different."

"Dean, I'm not ready yet. Tristan's death is still too recent and like I said, I'm not ready to fall for someone only to risk losing them, not yet that is. Give me some time, but believe me I do wanna try being with you."

Dean nodded slowly and watched as Sage recrossed her legs on the bed. "I can wait, it's not like you'll be slipping away in the night." He smiled although part of him wondered if she really was gonna slip away in the middle of the night.

"Goodnight Dean," Sage said as Dean stood up from the bed and went over to the bed that Sam had fallen asleep on.

Sage grabbed his arm as he walked past her. She leaned up and kissed him and it was just as amazing as the first one without the surprise. "That is the last one you will be getting for a while until I'm ready to give us a try."

Dean gave her a cocky smile before climbing into bed next to his brother. Sage smiled softly as she turned the light off. Dean Winchester had feelings for her.


	7. The New Puzzle Piece and the Accident

When Sam and Dean finally pulled themselves out of bed the next morning although it was closer to noon, Sage was gone. Her duffel bag laid at the foot of one of the beds and her weapons were still piled on the table beside the supernatural information that had been accumulated over the long years of hunting.

Dean bolted up in the bed yanking the covers off of Sam who was still half asleep. "She's gone!"

"Who's gone?" Sam rubbed his eyes and didn't move.

"Sage! Damn it I knew she would leave one day!"

At about that time the door to the hotel room opened and the beautiful woman with the dark chocolate hair and caramel blonde streaks entered the room and kicked the door shut with her foot while she balanced three large coffees. Sage was wearing a pair of ripped up dark wash jeans and one of the boys white button up shirts that she had tied up around her waist revealing a little bit of her stomach over the waistband of her jeans. Her hair was still tied up in the same ponytail from the night before but a few fly aways had escaped and hung around her face. She was pretty even when she didn't try.

"Hey guys," She smiled and handed them two of the three cups, "They're both black."

She had no idea what had happened when she had left. Sam did though. He caught Dean's eye when Sage walked back into the room and he saw that he was relieved. He just wondered what had happened between Sage and Dean last night once he went to bed.

She took a sip of hers and sat down on the edge of the empty bed after grabbing the list of people participating in the upcoming art contest. "Shouldn't we be leaving soon?"

"Where'd you go?" Dean spoke between sips of his still hot black coffee.

"Coffee shop down the street, hotel coffee isn't worth shit." She laughed.

"Whose shirt is that?" He asked her again.

"One of yours, I didn't know whose it was I just picked it up off the ground as opposed to one of my shirts." Neither of the boys said anything as they slowly woke up and drank their coffee.

"Are you wearing that to the interviews?" Sam asked looking her up and down as he changed from his sweatpants into his black suit pants.

"What's wrong with this?" Sage said coyly as she gestured to her outfit with her coffee cup still in her hand. "Of course I'm going to change."

Sam finished redressing in his FBI disguise and checked to make sure his badge was in his pocket before picking up his coffee. "Let's get going."

Dean managed to pull himself out of bed and search for his clothes amoung that was cluttered the hotel room floor. The room to the door shut behind Sam who went outside to wait in the lobby and try to get some more information about the art show and contest from the owner of the hotel or the concierge.

"Hey Dean,"

Dean looked up just in time to catch the white shirt that Sage tossed his way and get a quick glimpse of her bare back as she went into the bathroom and shut the door.

He dressed quickly and put his badge in his jacket just as Sage left the bathroom dressed once again in her black pencil skirt and crimson blouse. This time she opted out of wearing the jacket and instead slipped her badge into a discreet pocket in her tight skirt. She slipped her slender feet into her black pumps and looked at Dean.

"Got you gun?"

Dean lifted the side of his jacket to show her his glock. Sage nodded and smiled. She couldn't carry a gun because she had no way to conceal it in her clothes but she was careful. She had hidden a knife on her body, in a sheath on her thigh. She turned and headed out the door to where Sam was waiting just outside the door.

"Where's our first stop?" Sage asked walking out the car that was parked across from the hotel. She took another sip of her coffee, which was now half gone and surprisingly still hot.

"Let's start with Maria's boyfriend, somebody David's, he might know who Maria thought was a threat to her winning the contest which could lead us to who might have wanted Maria and the others dead to ensure their win in the contest." Sam said, clearly having decided that case of action since the night before.

Dean climbed into his baby and got behind the wheel. Sam stood beside the passenger waiting for Sage to climb into the back. "Where will we find this boyfriend?"

"The hospital most likely, if not the staff should have some idea of where to find him."

Sage nodded as Dean drove off towards the hospital they had passed by on their way into town. Her eyes connected with Sam's in the rearview mirror. He gave her a look that basically asked what had happened the night before. She just gave a small smile and pulled her eyes away to look out the window and leave Sam to continue wondering what it was that had happened.

"Hey Davids, FBI." Sam spotted Maria's boyfriend filing out a chart at the nurses station. He turned to see the three agents before he dropped the chart and ran off down another hallway.

"Ah hell!" Dean took off after him while Sage ran down another hallway in her heels.

"Oomph!" Davids yelled as he hit the ground after tripping over Sage's foot where she intersected him at the end of both hallways. Sage had taken the shorter hallway and cut off his exit by leaning against the wall and stretching out her foot.

Dean yanked him up by his collar and pushed him against the wall. "Why'd you run?"

"Because you're going to arrest me for killing Maria but I didn't kill her! I loved her!" Davids screamed, nurses and other doctors as well as some patients turning to watch the scene of Davids screaming at two FBI agents.

Sage sauntered up to Dean who still held Davids against the wall. She softly laid her hand on Dean's shoulder and smiled at Davids. "We're not here to arrest you. We don't even think you did it. All we want is to ask you questions about Maria and find out if she had any enemies."

Dean released the man and pulled him into an empty room just as Sam walked up to closed the storage room with a click and turned the lock while Sam and Dean pushed Davids into a lone chair.

"Did Maria have any enemies?" Sage asked the first question, slowly pacing the room and taping her bottom lip with her index finger.

"No, god no. Everyone loved Maria; she was the kindest person you would ever know." Brandon Davids ignored the two male hunters and focused on Sage, the pretty woman that he assumed was supposed to be playing "good cop". He didn't care; she was pretty and she didn't attack him.

"Who, besides Maria, were the favorites to win the art contest?" Sage asked again, now leaning against the door frame, one ankle crossed over the other.

"Victor Cruz, Sarah Fatale, and Emili Hart." Brandon looked to Dean, whose face had turned white. Upon turning back to Sage he saw that she too was ghostly pale.

"He's got another victim in mind." Sam murmered.

"Where's Emili Hart?" Dean yelled, his hazel eyes ablaze.

"I don't know. I don't keep track of Maria's competition even though she is a friend of all of them. I would probably say that she is working in her studio or at the gallery. If she is anything like Maria, she would be extremely stressed for this contest."

Sage had already unlocked the door, her beautifully pale slender hand resting on the doorknob. "Where is Emili's studio?"

"I don't know, I've never been there and I don't think Maria had ever been there either. But the gallery is on Greensburo Drive, right next to an antique store."

Sage had already left the room; Sam and Dean following quickly on her heels leaving a stunned Brandon Davids in the storage room.

Sage walked briskly from the hospital and climbed into Dean's baby. "The question is, is Emili the last victim? Or are their others?"

Dean started the car and peeled out of the hospital parking lot just as Sam was closing the passenger side door. "I'd say that Emili Hart is definitely on our creature's hit list, but as to whether or not she is the last victim I have no idea but we need to find her before our mystery creature does. She might have more answers since she is still a surviving artist that was a front runner for the art contest."

Sage's head was slammed against the side of the car as Dean took a corner fast and hard, jostling her about since she didn't put on a seatbeat. Her vision blacked out and she was instantly dizzy. She held a hand to the window as her vision came back to her slowly in little pieces. She swallowed hard, her dizziness suddenly vanishing. Sage raised a hand to the tender spot on her head where she had slammed against the car. There was a small bump but nothing sticky which meant no blood. She shook it off as Dean pulled into one of only four parking spaces in front of the gallery.

The hunters stepped out of the car and quickly walked into the gallery through the double glass doors in the front. Before getting out of the car, Sage took her hand gun and holstered it on her hip, not caring that she wasn't wearing her blazer to hide it.

The art gallery was dark from what they could see. There were paintings on the walls, paint supplies littering the floors, and sculptures resting in any empty space, some were finished, some weren't.

"Look over there," Sage whispered pointing as bright spots started to dance across her vision again.

Sam and Dean turned to the only light that was on in the entire gallery. It was coming from underneath one of the doors in the gallery. The three hunters moved as one, all of them with their guns raised liked the real FBI. Sam quickly opened the door and bathed the part of the gallery right behind them in light. The room was full of a cloud of ceramic dust and a black haired woman with a saw wearing an eye mask.

"Emili Hart?" Dean called.

The woman turned around, shocked at the presence of three strangers with guns pointed at her standing in her room. She powered off the saw and removed her eye mask.

"I'm Emili Hart." The woman had long black hair and bangs that covered her forehead. She was extremely thin and her features had a hint of an Asian nationality to them. She was wearing tight black skinny jeans and a loose fitting ACDC tank top.

"FBI." Sage coughed pulling out her badge and flashing it to Emili just as the Winchesters did.

Emili Hart nodded. "What can I do for you?" She whipped her hands on her jeans, removing the thick cover of ceramic dust from her palms.

"We need to talk to you about Maria." Sage told her as Sam and Dean walked across the studio as examined her artwork and the tools of her trade.

"I heard about what happened to her, she died. Murder is what I heard about it." Emili Hart.

Sage clutched her head as her ears began ringing and her eyes saw white spots. She quickly closed her eyes and leaned on the table for support. When she opened them, she was fine again.

"You okay?" Emili reached out to her and laid a hand on her forearm.

"I'm fine." Sage winced "You know that besides yourself, all of the favorites for the contest are dead."

Dean turned from where he stood at the sound of Emili's voice asking Sage if she was okay. He set the piece of ceramic art down on an extra table and silently walked up behind Sage.

"Do you think I killed those other contestants? Maria was my best friend; I would never hurt her, or the others."

"We don't think that you did, we think that you are in danger of becoming the next victim." Dean's voice shocked Sage since she never noticed him come up behind her.

"What?" Emili grabbed her crafting table for support. "What do you mean?"

"Someone is killing the artists that are favorites to win the contest. We have a feeling that you are next." Sam spoke softly, peeking out into the main gallery to make sure no one was outside.

"Who?" Emili sounded genuinely terrified as she turned to look at Sam.

"We don't know yet, but we're working on it. Is there someone in the contest who seems to have it out you and the others? Someone who wouldn't stand a chance unless you were taken out?" Sage asked before she started to feel lightheaded. "Sorry, I need some air." She turned and practically ran while she stumbled from Emili's studio and the gallery.

Dean looked after her but resisted the urge to go after her. She was probably fine; the dust had just gotten to her. Besides protecting Emili was a major concern since she was there only link to the killer, whatever it was.

Emili was a little shaken at Sage's abrupt exit but she addressed the men instead. "Ummmm, I'm not entirely sure. There is a guy who has been trying to enter the contest since it was first opened and he barely made it in to qualify. His art really sucks, I mean it's really bad but I guess he paid off a guy to be allowed into the contest. He has always been extremely jealous of myself and the contestants that were killed but he didn't stand a chance of winning even with them gone unless he paid somebody off."

Sam nodded, jotting everything down in his memory as Emili spoke; she absently started cleaning up her ceramic materials as she talked to Sam about the crazy guy in the contest. She mostly ignored Dean; he didn't talk much since he seemed preoccupied with whateverelse. She also found him somewhat intimidating.

"I should go check on Sage" Dean abruptly leaving the studio while Sam continued to question Emili about the man.

Dean found it strange that Sage left the studio as well as the gallery so quickly and that she hadn't returned yet. He didn't see her standing amongst the mess in the main gallery so he left and walked outside into the new darkness of night. As soon as he walked onto the sidewalk he saw a woman lying down a few feet from the main entrance to the gallery. Her beautiful dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and fell across her pale face. She was laying down as if she had fallen and she certainly wasn't homeless in her black pencil skirt and crimson blouse as well as her black heels. She was pale, her lips were blue, and her eyes were closed.

"Sage?" Dean called. The woman on the ground didn't stir. "Oh my god! Sage!"

Dean ran to her and flipped her over so she was laying on her back, her head in his lap. She was limp, her body cold. "Sage wake up! Don't do this, wake up damn it!" Dean shook her, gently but he wanted her to wake up more than anything else.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Dean carefully laid her back down on the sidewalk and ran back to the gallery. He threw the door opened and screamed. "Sam get out here now! It's Sage!" He ran back to where she was laying and lifted her up off the ground. She hung, limp in his arms as Sam sprinted from the gallery with Emili on his heels.

"Oh my god! What the hell happened to her?" Sam got to the car and yanked open the front door. "Emili get in. We can't risk whoever it is coming after you tonight."

Emili silently climbed in the backseat and Sam followed her lead.

"I don't know Sammie, I came outside to check on her and she was laying on the ground." Dean laid her down on the passenger seat before getting in the car on the driver's side. Dean's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel and headed towards the hospital for the second time that day. "She's so cold Sam." Dean's voice was sad and distant as he stared off straight ahead and focused on getting to the hospital quickly and helping the strange new beautiful woman he was beginning to have strong feelings for.

Now Emili knew why Dean was preoccupied in her studio, he was in love with his female partner and he was worried about her. Emili was quick to pick up on things that maybe even the people themselves aren't yet aware of. She could tell his feelings even if he wouldn't admit it to himself and she didn't think that he would. She decided to just be quiet and not bring it up. She was just thankful to have FBI protection with the artist killer on the loose. She didn't wanna be another body on a slab, another name on a file.

Dean pulled into the hospital, parking in a handicap spot closest to the sliding doors; he didn't even care that he wasn't allowed to park there. His parking was insanely crocked and he'd barely shut off his baby before running around to the other side of the car and carefully pulling Sage out of the car and not even waiting for his brother and Emili to pull themselves out of the car. He tossed the keys behind him without looking back, Emili caught them as she got out of the car. Dean held Sage in his arms and ran into the hospital, the doors opening automatically as he reached them.

"Help! Somebody help me!" Dean yelled angrily as several heads in the emergency room turned in his direction. A middle aged man in green scrubs and a lab coat ran towards him.

"What happened to her?" The doctor asked quickly, feeling Sage's cold neck for a pulse. "Her pulse is there but it is very faint. We need to admit her now and get her stabilized before we lose her."

Dean bit his lip. His eyes watered a little but he didn't wanna cry; he didn't cry. He just got Sage, well almost, he was staring to fall for her and he couldn't lose her already. He knew that she was a hunter and that it was always a possibility that he could lose her but not like this, not finding her half dead on the sidewalk from who knows what. "I found her like this, on the street."

The doctor's eyes grew softer as he saw Dean's face fall. "We'll try to save her. Quickly bring her this way." The man sped off as Dean ran behind him carrying Sage in his arms. "In here."

Dean laid Sage down on the bed as the good doctor began to hook her up to machines and IVs before he quickly stopped and looked at her and then at Dean. "She's armed." He gave them a suspicious look.

Dean impatiently pulled out his FBI badge and showed it to the doctor. "She's FBI too, check her pocket."

The doctor pulled her badge out and looked at it before removing her gun holster and passing it to Dean along with her badge. "You need to get out of here now, I need to work on her and stabilize her before finding out what made her fall unconscious and how to fix her. I'm sorry, you can't wait outside in the waiting room for now." The doctor walked Dean to the door and pulled it shut as he drew the curtains as well.

Dean wandered dejectedly back to the waiting room, his mind fretting over Sage. He wondered what would make a strong hunter like her fall completely unconscious and half dead. Emili and Sam were already seated in the waiting room. Emili was twirling Dean's keys on her fingers and staring off into space. Dean said nothing as he went to sit down across from the two. Sam knew not to say anything when he saw Dean the way he was at the moment. Emili looked up, opened her mouth and thought better of it so she returned to focusing on twirling the keys. It seemed like years before the doctor finally emerged in the waiting room but in reality it was only an hour.

"She had a concussion but she's stable now, she's just resting." The doctor told Dean as he stood up already going towards her room.

"A concussion? How?" Dean turned to look at the doctor as his words sunk in.

"She hit her head sometime today, pretty hard I would say to knock her out. She'll be fine, I'll release within couple days once I can make sure that she is okay and her memory wasn't affected."

Dean was speechless. Her memory, as in she might not remember anything. He was afraid that she wouldn't remember being a hunter, remember her life, remember him… he really hoped that her memory hadn't been affected. He had to see her, see if she remembered her life. Dean was surprised with himself. He was never like this, ever, but Sage was different; she made him different.

"Don't wake her! She needs her rest." The doctor called after Dean as he ran to her room. Sam and Emili watched him go but they remained in the waiting room. The both came to an understanding that he needed time alone with her.

Dean had just entered her room and closed the door and the curtain when he had a crippling thought when he saw her sleeping in the hospital bed, the beautiful, strong woman that he had come to know in a state that he had never seen her. I did this to her, he thought, it was in my car that she hit her head, if she doesn't remember me it's my own damn fault!


	8. Their Pasts Hinder Their Futures

Sage wearily opened her eyes in an unfamiliar setting. She was wearing her fancy FBI clothes still but her gun was missing and her badge was too. The room was boring actually, white walls, hideous patterned curtains. Her bed had short rails and plain, scratchy white sheets with a blue blanket over the top. She went to stretch only to realize that she was attached to some sort of IV and a heart monitor. Her head throbbed but she didn't see any spots. It took her through all of this along with the codes called throughout the building for her to realize that she was in the hospital and she wasn't the one visiting a patient.

She groaned and rolled over towards the door where she noticed a familiar figure seating in a chair that must have been just as uncomfortable as her bed. "Dean?"

Dean looked up at her from where he was half asleep in the chair. "You remember me?"

Sage gave him a funny, puzzled look and was silently thankful that she was still in her own clothes and she hadn't been forced to wear one of the hideous hospital gowns. "Of course I do."

"The doctor said he wasn't sure if you would remember anything."

"I remember everything about me. The last thing I remember is going to the gallery to talk to Emili Hart and then running out because I was dizzy then I woke up here. What happened to me anyway?" Sage sat up already tired of lying down in the hospital; she wasn't weak and she was ready to get out.

Dean sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You have a concussion."

Sage laughed softly. "I've had worse."

"It happened when you hit your head in my car, on the way to find Emili." Dean's voice was hard but it was only so he wasn't upset.

"I don't care how it happened, I'm not mad. I'm fine, just like I always am." Sage smiled and brushed her wild hair out with her fingers. "I'm a hunter Dean, I'm not that fragile."

Dean had to laugh at that. Sage was right after all; she was tough as nails.

"What happened to Emili anyway? She could be dead now because of my stupid accident." Sage said, already pulling the IV from her hand and the heart monitor attachments from her chest. The room filled with the sound of a flatline.

"Emili's fine. She's with Sam in the waiting room; she's been with us all night."

Sage nodded and looked outside at the window where the sun had just come up over the horizon blanketing the room in a warm orange glow.

"How long have I been here?"

"Overnight." Dean was about to say more but he was cut off by the door being shoved open as the middle aged doctor dashed in followed quickly by Sam and Emili.

The doctor was clearly shocked to find Sage sitting up on the edge of the bed with everything pulled out and not laying there dead. "I see you're clearly alright." He grumbled. "Reattach everything now, you need to stay another night."

Sage's eyes took on a look of defiance and anger as she stood up. Her head spun for a moment but then she was fine. "I'm checking myself out. I'm fine, I have no headache and I can't stand being here another minute."

She bent down and put her heels on before taking her gun and her badge from Dean's outstretched hand. She put the gun back in its holster and her badge back in her pocket.

"At least let me get you a wheelchair." The doctor said sounding resigned and already tired of dealing with Sage for the brief minutes that he had seen her awake.

"I'm not an invalid, I can walk out." Sage briskly walked past him and left the room. Dean couldn't help but crack a smile. Sage wasn't going to take crap from anyone; she really did do things her own way.

Dean caught her on her way to the nurses' station to discharge herself. He grabbed her arm and she spun around. "You sure you're okay?"

She shrugged. "A couple of scrapes from my fall but my head feels fine. No headache, no dancing spots, no dizziness. Like I said, I've had worse." She smiled her million dollar smile before signing the papers and stepping out into the morning light.

"Hopefully there was no victim last night since we had Emili." Sage said as she walked beside Dean to where he had illegally parked his car. Sam and Emili had already climbed into the backseat.

"We haven't heard from the police so I think everyone else is fine but our creature is going to be pretty angry that Emili is still alive." Dean started the car and backed out the spot just as Sage slammed the passenger door.

Sage nodded looking at Emili in the rearview mirror. The poor woman looked extremely tired and scared from the information she had been given the night before. "So Emili needs to stay with us, the creature could still be after her."

"Excuse me, did you say creature?" Emili piped up from the backseat, her huge brown eyes finding Sage's green ones in the mirror.

"Yes I did, we have a lot to fill you in on when we get back to the hotel." Sage turned around to face Emili.

Emili looked from Sam to Sage to Dean and then back again. "You guys aren't really FBI are you?"

"Not technically, but we're something like that." Sage smiled.

"Who are you guys?" Emili was too shocked to scream, to demand to be let out of the car. She simply asked her questions in a soft voice and tried to absorb what the hunters had to tell her.

"We're hunters Emili, monster hunters." Sage then turned around just as Dean pulled into the hotel.

Emili grabbed Sam's arm despite the fact that she was somewhat afraid of him too. Sam turned to look at her. "Be quiet inside and don't mention any of this. We'll fill you in once we get into the room." Sam said to her as he stepped out of the car along with the others and then reached back for Emili's hand. He saw her eyes dart from side to side. She contemplated running but in the end her curiosity got the better of her and she followed the strange group into the hotel and up to their room.

Sage closed the door to the hotel room with click and put all three locks into place. Emili's face was full of shock and confusion as she took in the room. The beds were disheveled and completely unmade. There were women's and men's clothes all over the floor; guns and knives were laying on one of the tables in the room and the other was piled high with old books, hand written notes, police reports, a black journal, and random pages that were stuffed inside other things. Sam and Dean had moved books, notes, and clothes off of the beds and sat down on one while gesturing for Emili to take a seat across from them.

Sage rummaged around in the minifridge before pulling out the bottle of vodka and pulling up a chair to sit at the foot of the two beds. She took a long swig from the bottle. Sam gave her a disapproving look. "Hey, I'm done. I just wanted one drink, I've had a stressful day." Sam said nothing and neither did Dean.

Sage passed the bottle to Emili. "Believe me, you'll probably want this. So what do you wanna know?"

Emili took a long pull from the bottle before answering Sage's question. "What are you people?"

"We're hunters, just like we already said." Sage told her as she stood up to go through the mess on the table deciding to pick up working their case again.

"I know that, but what are you? Vampires, werewolves, superheroes."

Sage laughed softly while she looked through a book she found on the table.

"No, we're humans." Sam told her as he looked over at Sage.

"How long has this been your life?" Emili asked.

"It's different for all of us," Dean told her. "I've been a hunter since I was a child, Sam since he was a teenager and Sage has been a hunter since she was a child as well."

Emili looked to Sage. "You've been a hunter since you were a child?"

Sage looked up from the book and the notes she was reading. "Yeah I have, my parents were hunters so they taught me at a young age so I would know what to do if I was ever attacked."

"Wow. That must have been extremely hard."

Sage shrugged. "It's my life, it's all that I've known and I like my life. It's better now that I've found these two."

"So they're real huh? The mythical creatures from fairy tales?" Emili was now back to the major question.

"Oh yeah, everything that goes bump in the night is real. We're the ones who protect the naiveté of humans and keep the monsters in check." Dean told her as he lounged back on the bed and loosened his tie.

"Is that what killed Maria and the others? Some monster?" Emili was scared now, she took another long drink from the vodka bottle, her head growing just a tad bit fuzzy.

"That's what we think." Sam said as Sage passed him a newspaper article about the upcoming art contest.

Sam scanned the article before coming up to the section that had drawn Sage's attention. Sam read and reread that section before he passed it to Dean, pointing to the section that he should read.

"Wha- what is that?" Emili asked, trying to read the paper upside down.

"It's something I think that has to do with our case, we might have just solved it." Sage told her, her index finger resting on her pouty lips as she thought about the case.

"Read this. Tell me if it has anything else to do with the art contest." Dean passed the article to Emili who took it in her shaky hands and read the whole thing slowly.

"Yes, I've heard about this, we all have. I thought it was just a legend." Emili slowly handed the article back to Sage. "Where did you get this?"

"When I went to the bar two days ago I stopped by the old library first to look for information on the art contest. This is the article I found about the contest. I stole it. What does this mean to you?" Sage told her, folding the page back up and putting it in her skirt pocket. "I forgot I had it until now."

"Everyone in town has heard of that legend, it's really big in the art world actually. This man, James Carter, won the art contest in 1985. His piece was amazing, I've seen it in the gallery's storage space; it was put there after the accident."

"What accident?" Dean asked Emili, following her story just like his younger brother and Sage.

"Oh, the accident that happened after the art contest that day, at the after party. James was giving his acceptance speech and the champagne toast. James Carter was a great artist but he thought he was the best artist who ever lived. His speech was extremely conceited and he basically threatened anyone who dared to try and upstage him in the following annual contests. He finished his speech and was headed back to his table when he tripped over the cord for the massive chandelier, he pulled it from the wall and it fell. He was impaled with the bottom of the chandelier and he was killed instantly. That's the true story of James Carter. The legend is that the ghost of James Carter still haunts the gallery and has sworn vengeance on anyone who tries to take his title in the art contest. Some of the artists think that is why there wasn't another contest until this year; they feared the revenge of the late James Carter. They did fix the chandelier a couple of years ago but some people are still afraid. That's why there are some artists who didn't enter the contest this year." Emili retold the gruesome tale of the conceited artist to the audience of three that listened to her every word. She took another swig of the vodka. "Do you think it's him?"

Sage bit her bottom lip and looked at Emili. "It could be him, he would definitely be involved is my guess."

"Be involved? Something else could have done this?" Emili took another long drink of vodka, very clearly buzzed now.

"Yeah, it could be someone controlling his ghost trying to blame the ghost for everything and get people out of the contest so they have a chance at winning." Sam spoke up trying to decide which one was the most likely option.

"What? Someone like who?"

"My guess is the man you were telling us about, the one that really sucks at art."

"His name is Carl Richards."

"We might end up paying a visit to Carl Richards then." Dean said as he stood up and walked over to Sage where he whispered something in her ear. She smiled and said nothing.

"Where is James buried Emili?" Sam asked her, laying a hand on her arm as she went to take a swig of vodka.

"Oh, the town cemetery. I can show you but I'm not entirely sure where it is he is buried in the cemetery."

"That's fine, we'll stake it out now so we know where to come back to tonight to stop the ghost." Sage said as she slipped on her heels once again, her eyes once again dancing with spots. She shook her head and they vanished.

"Wait, what do you mean? How do you get rid of a ghost?" Emili asked as she stood up from the bed and went over to where Sage stood unlocking the door to the hotel room. Emili grabbed her arm. "How do you get rid of a ghost?"

Sage turned to look at her, holding the door open. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Burn the bones." Dean told her without even waiting for a reply from Emili. He tossed a knife through the air at Sage who caught it one handed and reattached it to a sheath on her thigh.

Emili's small face betrayed her shock but she said nothing as she left the hotel. She was intrigued by the hunters but somewhat afraid of them and what they knew as well. She couldn't imagine willingly doing what they do and doing it since they were children. They all would have had to grow up extremely fast and watch their childhood speed by while they were on the outside looking in. As Emili watched the three of them walk in front of her, she was awed. She could see the men being hunters, it was probably in their family but the woman? Emili had no idea how Sage had gotten roped into becoming a hunter even if her family were hunters. She was beautiful, she could have done anything but she chose to hunt monsters and from what Emili could understand she had been doing it alone until she met the other two. Emili's guess was that most of Sage's life she had spent alone, being nomadic, hunting creatures that could easily kill her and yet somehow she survived it all. Emili had come up with many more questions as they all walked out to the car, more personal questions.

"What happened to your parents?" She asked as they all reached Dean's car.

"Dead." Sage and Dean replied at the same time with no feeling in either of their voices.

"And yours?" Emili asked of Sam.

"Dead." He replied opting to join Emili in the backseat once again.

"What are your names?"

The three hunters exchanged a look in the mirror before they spoke.

"Dean."

"Sam."

"Sage."

Emili nodded, satisfied.

"Don't tell anyone who we really are. We try to keep a low profile and we basically don't exist. There are birth certificates and we turn up a couple of times here and there but we might as well be dead there is so little about us. That's the life we chose to lead." Dean told her as they left the hotel and headed towards the cemetery.

"So you don't have anyone besides each other then. You are all each others' family." Emili said, putting together a few pieces although she would never have the full puzzle.

"Yes, that's right." Sam told her quickly, hoping she wasn't going to push the subject.

"Do you have anyone?" She asked. "Is there anyone else for you guys?"

That was the question that had Sam had hoped she wouldn't ask. That was one thing that was a sensitive subject with all of them but especially Dean and Sage.

"No, no one. They all died." Sage stared straight ahead as she spoke. Her words were harsh and bitter and the sadness stayed on her tongue.

"Who did you lose?" Emili asked, oblivious as to what she was getting in to.

"A man I loved with all I had! He probably died because of me!" Sage turned around, her bright green eyes turned dark with sadness and anger.

"I've lost a woman that I once thought was my whole world, but now know otherwise." Dean's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. The pain was still there but it was only a dull ache when he thought about it, not like it was for Sage when Tristan was mentioned or she thought about him.

"Dean and I both lost a close family friend; he was like a father." Sam's voice was soft, removing a little bit of the sting that Sage had left on Emili.

"We're here." Dean got out of the car and slammed the door just as Sage did and the two walked off through the cemetery gates leaving Sam and Emili to get out of the car.

"You shouldn't have done that." Sam told as he watched the two hunters walk through the graves together, two lost souls that had been broken who had managed to find each other whether they knew it or not.

"I realized that after I said it." Emili said quietly. "I should apologize."

"Don't even bring it up. The less they are reminded of those awful events, the better off they are. Leave them alone for now. The hurt will wear off like it always does." Sam told her as she lead the way into the cemetery.

"They have each other."

Sam smiled at her mention of the relationship between Dean and Sage. "You noticed then?" He asked her.

"I can tell there is something between them."

"I don't think they can. They'll figure it out one day but it'll be at their own pace. They're both just so broken."

"Two broken souls who need each other." Emili retorted as she walked off in a direction opposite that taken by Sage and Dean.

Sam nodded his agreement as he walked silently beside Emili. Emili was the type of girl that he could get to know, the type of girl that he would really like to be with. But Sam knew that he was a hunter first and a boyfriend second and Emili deserved better than that. She deserved someone who could always be there with her, who wouldn't be gone most of the time hunting strange creatures that no one really knew existed.

Emili's eyes quickly scanned each stone looking for one bearing the name James Carter. She looked off across the cemetery and saw Sage and Dean walking side by side and talking about one thing or another. Too bad they don't realize what they have in each other. Emili thought as she looked at them.

"I've slept with her you know." Sam said casually, jarring Emili back from her thoughts.

"What? Sage?" Emili looked into his chocolate eyes and saw the hint of a smile.

"Yes, Sage."

Emili was awestruck. Sam had slept with a woman who was clearly into his brother, a woman his brother might beat him up for if he knew. "Does Dean know that?"

"Yeah, it happened awhile ago. The night we first met actually, it was before anything was going on between them."

Emili was slightly relieved even though what went on between the three hunters was none of her business. "Why did you tell me that?"

Sam shrugged. "Making conversation."

The pair was silent for a while longer as they looked amongst the graves for the single one they wanted.

"I wish she could have seen him last night." Emili sighed, pulled back into Sage and Dean's confusing and messed up love story that hadn't really happened yet.

"Huh?" Sam asked her.

Emili tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear before she spoke. "Sage, I wish she could have seen how Dean reacted last night. To finding her on the sidewalk, taking her to the hospital, the waiting, the guilt, sitting with her. Maybe if she saw all of that, she would be with him."

"You're somewhat of a romantic aren't you?" Sam asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Somewhat." She replied.

"They'll be together at some point. There's a reason that she was there the night of the werewolf attack at just the right time to save our asses. There's a reason that she joined up with us. Fate lined everything up to put those two together. It's just a matter of time before they realize it too. But like I said they're both broken, messed up. Neither of them wants to go through that again. Dean doesn't let anyone in and from what I can tell, Sage doesn't either. They don't wanna be hurt again so they are careful with each other. They each know that they have feelings for the other one but they don't know what to do with it, where to go with it so they dance each other, getting close but staying distant." Sam summed it up for her as best he could.

Emili nodded her understanding even though their relationship still confused her but then again, their whole world confused her. "What happened to those two anyway to make them so weary of loving someone?"

"They've both loved and lost Emili. Sage's boyfriend, Tristan, was killed by a ventala, a creature that is like a vampire. She was hunting down the ventala near her home town, the creature saw the two of them together one night and took Tristan. She took Tristan and drained his blood over a couple days to get to Sage. She left his body where Sage would find it and she stayed hidden while she watched her break down over the death of the man she loved. Tristan was killed because of Sage and she still blames herself for his death; she never caught the ventala that killed him but she's still looking." Sam paused when he saw the pained expression on Emili's small face. He continued with the story. "Dean had given up a while ago when he found a woman and fell in love with her. They were together for a bit and he was happy with her and her child until I came back into his life. I needed him bad to help me hunt, I couldn't keep doing it on my own anymore so he told her goodbye and never saw her again. He knew that they were over the minute he walked out that door with me but his ties with me were stronger than they were with her so I won out. Slowly he stopped loving her until she was only a memory."

"Oh my god, that's so terrible." Emili's voice had a hint of sadness to it for stories that were long gone, stories that weren't hers.

"Tristan's death still weighs heavily on Sage, but I think it is mostly because she blames herself for his death and she didn't choose to leave him; he was taken from her. I know she doesn't feel as strongly for him as she once did, I don't even think she really loves him much anymore but she carries that guilt on her shoulders, the weight of the world." Sam once again began looking for James' grave.

"I've seen them look at each other Sam."

"I've seen it too. They're happy together."

"Does Dean know all of that about Tristan?"

"Yeah he knows. Sage knows about his old girlfriend too."

"When they each other in they seem to be open."

"I don't think they keep secrets if that's what you mean." Sam stopped a moment when he saw the name James although he was the wrong one and he kept going. His eyes traveled over to Sage and Dean who seemed to be doing more talking than searching for graves. He saw Sage trip over a flat grave stone and reach out for Dean's arm just as he grabbed her. She stood up again and then laughed as they continued walking.

"They're carefree together." Emili said as she followed Sam's gaze.

"Yeah, that's something that's different with them."

"Hey I think I found it." Emili said looking at a rather impressive grave stone with an angel standing on top of it. Emili knelt down next to it and read the inscription. "This is definitely it." She stood up again and gazed across the cemetery to where Sage and Dean had moved off to. "Hey guys, we found it!" Emili cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled.

Sage's head wiped around and she grabbed Dean's hand before taking her heels off and running down the hill towards Sam and Emili, jumping haphazardly over tombstones all the while dragging Dean behind her, both of them laughing.

"You found it?" Sage pushed her hair back from her face and smiled. She let go of Dean's hand after holding on to it a moment too long.

"Yepp, this is it." Emili gestured to the large gravestone and slapped her hand back down on her thigh.

Sage knelt down on the ground and ran her hands over the engraved markings on the hard stone. Emili cast a glance at Sam. Sage and Dean had laughed, that seemed unlike them even for the brief time she had known them both.

Sage stood up. "We'll come back after tonight and finish the job."

Dean nodded. "We'll need shovels."

"Steal them for the grave keepers shed." Emili said casually, glancing off in the direction of an old beat up wooden shed.

"You've barely known us and you're already getting into stealing shovels and destroying graves." Sage crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow before cracking a smile and laughing, her musical laugh.

Emili shrugged. "Behavior rubs off especially when my life is on the line."

Sam and Dean started walking back out of the cemetery and marking that the grave was right beside a huge oak tree. "Back to the hotel I guess." Sage said as she fell into step behind the guys.

"Actually I've got something I wanna do. Feel like joining me?" Sage asked

Emili shrugged. "Better than hanging out with those two at the hotel I'm sure."

Sage caught up to the guys and told them she'd meet up with them before sunset to finish the job. She waved goodbye and went to rejoin Emili who was headed off towards the exit as well.

"So what did you wanna do?" Emili asked as she walked of in a direction opposite the one taken by the other hunters.

"Well, I've got a very A-list event coming up in a couple of weeks and I need a dress for it. Besides my hair could stand to be redyed and I figured an artist would be a good person to do my hair." Sage smiled. "I was thinking about doing a new color for my highlights."

"Whose A-list party? I thought you were a hunter, trying to remain low key." Emili asked heading into a drug store to look for hair dye.

"Dick Roman's."

Emili's eyes grew wide. "Dick Roman? As in the Dick Roman from Roman Enterprises? As in the party that he has been planning for months? That Dick Roman?"

"Yes, that Dick Roman." Sage browsed the aisles looking for hair dye and finally turning on the last aisle that looked promising.

"What are you doing going to his party?" Emili practically screamed it.

"Shhhhh. Keep your voice down Emili. I'm going because I'm working a case and I'm the only one who can go. Dick Roman knows Sam and Dean but he's never seen me. And I'm not going as me, I'm going as Vanessa Greene."

"Wait, Dick Roman's party is a case for you guys?" Emili stared wide eyed at Sage who had picked up a box of cinnamon colored hair dye from the racks and was examining it, holding it up to her own natural dark brown hair.

"Yes, Dick Roman is a major part of a case of ours. What about this one?" Sage asked.

"Dick Roman is a monster?"

Sage turned to her. "Yes. Now please stop talking about this here. I'll explain it to you later on when we're alone. Now what about this color?"

Emili took it from Sage and picked up a strand of her hair. "It would be pretty but I think you should do an exciting color. It's more you I think."

Sage bit her lip and looked through the rest of the colors picking up a gorgeous purple. "Like this?"

Emili's eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, get both actually. I can work with it."

Sage nodded and carried both boxes of hair dye to the counter where she pulled out a credit card that Sage noticed didn't have her real name on it. "We have multiple identities and many cards and IDs to go with those." Sage told her as she left the drugstore.

"So, dress or hair first?" Sage asked.

"Hair, we can go to my apartment." Emili turned the corner and buzzed herself into a two story apartment building.

Sage climbed the stairs behind her and waited while Emili unlocked the door. They both sidestepped the mess in the apartment that consisted of art supplies, clothes, discarded pizza boxes and Chinese takeout.

"Sorry about the mess." Emili laughed as she noticed Sage looking about the apartment

"Hey, no problem. You saw our hotel room, our actual place is even worse." Sage laughed as she crammed into the tiny bathroom with Emili. "You know we don't spend time with people involved in our cases."

"I figured, I guess I'm just special." Emili took the bag for Sage and opened the boxes of dye. "Good it came with bleach." She gestured for Sage to sit down on the edge of the tube.

Emili took out a bowl and a brush for the hair dye and put it in the bowl as Sage sat down on the bathtube. "So what's with you and Dean?" Emili asked her as she started picking up Sage's caramel highlights and applying the cinnamon color to them.

"There's nothing going on with me and Dean." Sage said as she grabbed a towel off the floor and draped it over her shoulders to protect her crimson silk blouse.

Emili stopped long enough to look Sage in her bright green eyes. "I've seen you two Sage, don't tell me there isn't something there."

"Emili," Sage sighed, "It's so complicated."

Emili moved on to finish the rest of Sage's already made highlights, changing them into cinnamon colored wet globs. "Do you care where I put the purple?"

Sage shock her head. "No, I don't care."

"But seriously, it's not that complicated if you care about him."

Sage bit her lip. "You don't know our pasts."

"Actually I do, Sam told me everything about you both, about why you don't let people in. I know about your pasts. You both deserve each other."

Sage sighed and put her face in her hands. "I'm gonna kill Sam. I like Dean I do, but I don't know what to do with us. We're not ready for it yet."

Emili mixed the bleach packet and began applying it to randomly placed sections of Sage's hair that she knew would look really good.

"Have you talked to Dean about this? Because I've seen you guys together. You would be so good together." Emili gushed as she continued applying the bleach.

"We would I know, just not yet. We've got time."

Emili didn't want to mention how their job was dangerous and they might not have forever but she kept her mouth shut and finished Sage's bleaching. "If you guys get married, let me know."

Sage laughed. "Yeah, if that happens I'll be sure to let you know. What about you and Sam?"

Emili's brow furrowed. "There is no me and Sam, I barely know him. He's sweet and funny and different. I'm not looking for a relationship now, I'm trying to do more art. Besides, Sam is a hunter, he travels all the time, all over the place. There's nothing there."

Sage smiled. "I'm glad I've taken some time to get to know you. You're a cool person."

Emili laughed. "Lean back and rinse your hair."

Sage did as she was told and watched the water turn a reddish brown with some white mixed through. She ran her hands through her hair and waited for the feeling of the hairdye to go away.

Emili already had a hair dryer on and she started blow drying it as soon as Sage sat up. "That tattoo on your wrist, what's that about?"

"Oh this?" Sage pulled up her sleeve and showed her tattoo to Emili. "It's a hunters mark. I got it right after I turned 18 once I knew that hunting was gonna be my life. My parents weren't thrilled I'd chosen to follow in their footsteps so I got it as kind of a screw you. Some hunters have them, some don't. I'm thinking about getting another one."

Emili ran her hands through Sage's hair trying to help the drying process go faster so she could put in the purple dye. "Really? What new tattoo?"

"It's actually one that Sam and Dean have. It's an antipossession symbol, it will keep demons and things from taking control of our bodies. That and it would kind of be a mark that linked us all together. I'd get mine on my chest as well, left side to match."

Emili nodded as she finished blow drying Sage's hair. "What do you think so far?"

"I love the cinnamon! And the white streaks are in great places too." She smiled and rolled her sleeve back down.

There was a loud meow from the doorway and both women turned to see a large gray cat standing in the doorway with one blue eye and one green eye.

"Hi Sookie!" Emili addressed the cat who rubbed up on Sage's leg. "She likes you."

Sage laughed. "Let's finish my hair. We've got a hot dress to find."

Emili laughed and started covering the white streaks with beautiful purple color Sage and had purchased at the drugstore. She spent longer doing the purple than she did the rest with the rest of her hair. She wanted the purple to really stand, show Sage's true colors. After the color was rinsed out and Sage's hair was blow dryed again to her natural tousled look.

"Take a look." Emili smiled and put down the blow dryer. She put all her brushes in the sink to be cleaned out later on.

Sage turned to the bathroom mirror. A large smile spread across her face. "Bad ass! Now, let's go get me a sexy dress!" Sage laughed and shook her hair out so it was even more wild and sexy than usual.


	9. Sage Plays Bad Cop

The only formal dress store in the town was a small boutique that looked to be rather expensive for such a small town. Sage looked to the sky right before walking into the store behind Emili and she judged that she had a little over an hour until sunset and she had to meet the Winchester's back at the hotel.

"So," Emili began rubbing her hands together, "What kind of dress are you looking for?"

"Sexy, it has to be long because the event is black tie, a nice dark color." Sage said as she began to look through the many dresses hanging on the racks.

"Got it." Emili smiled and walked off grabbing things off the numerous racks that matched what Sage had said she wanted in a dress. "Hey, what size are you?"

Sage turned her head from a deep purple dress to where Emili was standing holding multiple dresses in her arms. "2."

Sage kept looking through the dresses and pulling out a couple that she thought were beautiful and sexy and expertly went with her criteria. "Hey Em, I think we're good now." Sage called to the Asian woman across the store. Sage walked toward the large dressing rooms in the back of the store and picked the first one there.

"Sage I wanna see all of these!" Emili called as she passed her arm load of dresses to Sage through the curtain.

Sage extended her hand through the curtain, her black fingernails holding many dresses. "Pink, yellow and orange are not my colors."

Emili took them from her hand and hung them up on the return rank while Sage slipped out of her FBI disguise and into the first of the dresses, a forest green dress that was fairly simple in the skirt but with a plunging neckline and off the shoulder straps. She walked out of the dressing room, pulling all of her thick dark hair over onto her left shoulder.

"Hot, but you can do better." Emili said from where she was seated in a plush white armchair. "The fit is good though."

"Fits like a glove." Sage commented as she breezed back into the dressing room and put on one of the black dresses. It was a larger dress, with a fuller skirt that was layers of lace and fluff. The bodice of the dress was black silk and a sweetheart neckline with rhinestones along the top.

"Too prom for this party." Sage said as she walked out of the dressing room holding up her skirts so she wouldn't trip over them.

"Yeah, that's a no." Emili said, chewing a hang nail off her index finger.

Sage pulled the curtain and changed into the other black dress. A mermaid dress that was tight until it reached her knees and then it billowed out and was layered. The dress had silver accents and a halter top with a low back, definitely more her. She walked back out and got a whistle from Emili.

"That's hot, if I was guy!" Emili laughed at the same time Sage did.

"I've got two more left." She retreated back and put on the deep plum purple dress. There was a slit up to her lower thigh and there was a single shoulder strap that wrapped around and held up the backless dress.

"That's hot too." Emili commented as Sage spun in the dress and posed. "Better than the black."

"I agree. One left and then we have to go to the hotel." Sage waltzed back into the dressing room and slipped out of the purple dress. She pulled down the one dress that she had saved for the rest. She pulled the dress on and zipped it up and it fit her perfectly, like a second skin. The dress was a beautiful, deep crimson red silk. The dress was tight until just past her knee where it billowed out, there was a large slit up the side from the bottom of the left side to half way up her thigh. The neckline of the dress was very edgy, hugging her chest and plunging slightly below her cleavage. The dress was completely backless, not starting again until just below the small of her back, if she had a tramp stamp it would have been visible. There were straps that started at the very edge of the top of the dress and went over her shoulders and crisscrossed at the top of her back before reconnecting to the dress, making an 'x' shape across her upper back. She shook her long hair out and draped it over her left shoulder. She smiled and breezed out of the dressing room to catcalls from Emili

"Fucking yes! That's the one! It's hot!" Emili stood up and hugged Sage.

She laughed. "That's what I thought."

Sage twirled before walking back into the dressing room to change into her skirt and blouse. She returned carrying the crimson dress and leaving the others in the dressing room. "I need heels."

"Let's look here." Emili walked off towards the large show display on the far side of the wall. She pulled a pair of black satin heels from the wall and handed them to Sage. The shoes were 4 inch stilettoes, open toed with a strap around the ankle. The were edgy, sexy like the dress.

"They're perfect! Size seven." Sage took the box that Emili handed her and headed off to the check out counters towards the door. Her eyes looked to the sky as she put her purchases. The sun was falling from the sky as the woman who had too much plastic surgery rang up her purchases.

"567.43." The plastic surgery woman said in her nasal voice.

Damn, Sage thought as she pulled yet another credit card that wasn't issued to her real identity, good thing we don't have to spend any of our real money on things like this.

The woman put the dress in a long dress bag and her shoes in a store bag. She handed them both to Sage and the hunter and the artist left the boutique and headed back to the hotel.

"How do you walk in those pumps all the time?" Emili asked looking at Sage's feet.

"I broke them in when I first got them and I'm just used to wearing them now it's no big deal. My regular casual shoes are a pair of black boots with a wedge heel and I've also got a pair of black converse too." Sage shrugged and looked up the street to where the hotel was.

"I still can't believe it about Dick Roman."

"Yeah, he's evil all the way through. He wasn't always though. The real Dick Roman was killed by a creature called a Leviathan and the creature stole his appearance. Dick Roman is head of all the leviathan. I'm going to the party to see what his plans are with all his charities and events and companies and the new land he keeps buying. I figure someone there will know what's going on and no one will know me so it's all okay."

"Is Dean okay with you doing this? Getting yourself into Dick's party and being that close to him and other leviathans whatever the hell those are?"

Sage gave a sarcastic laugh. "No, he hates the idea, Sam isn't a big fan either but the logical hunter sides of their brains won, they knew it was the best way to get information. I'm hunter, I'll be able to fend for myself for a couple of hours or so at the party. Beside Dick doesn't know me and he wouldn't do anything in front of all those guests anyway." She opened the doors to the hotel lobby and climbed the stairs with Emili in tow.

"I can see why. It seems pretty dangerous. What is a leviathan anyway?"

"It's a creature that is supposed to locked away in the deepest part of Hell. The can steal someone's image but touching you and they eat people. Oh yeah and we haven't found a way to kill them yet." Sage knocked on the door to their room since she forgot her key.

Sam opened the door already dressed in jeans, a blue t-shirt and a dark green jacket. "Lost your key?"

"Didn't take a key." Sage smiled and walked around Sam to see Dean flipping through his dad's old journal. He had also changed into dark jeans, a gray t-shirt, and an old brown leather jacket. He had an old flask laying beside him on the bed, Bobby's old flask actually. She dropped her things on the empty bed. "I got my attire for Dick's big party."

Dean sighed angrily at the mention of Sage attending Dick Roman's party. "Can we see what you plan on wearing?" He asked closing the beat up black journal.

"You'll see the night I wear it." Sage gave him a coy smile as she searched through her duffel bag for some more casual clothing, pulling out a pair of dark wash jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

"Is that purple in your hair?" Sam asked coming up beside her and grabbing a strand of her newly dyed hair.

"Yeah, Emili did it for me." Sage smiled and turned around to face the wall. She started unbuttoning her crimson blouse.

Both Winchester's turned to look at Emili and she shrugged.

Sage pulled off her blouse and discarded it to the floor along with her pencil skirt. "Hand me my jeans." Sage called over her shoulder to where Dean was sitting on the bed. He was staring at her wide eyed where she was standing in her just her black lacey bra and matching underwear, the black was a sharp contrast to her beautifully pale skin. She smiled as he handed her the jeans and she pulled them over her legs and zipped them up. "T-shirt?" Dean passed her the white shirt while watching her the whole time. She laughed and rolled her eyes as she pulled the cotton shirt over her head. She turned around while she pulled her shirt down over her stomach and puller her long hair out of the neck of the shirt.

"What?" She asked looking at Dean's expression and then over to Sam who wore a similar expression.

"Since when do you change in front of us?" Sam asked her putting a knife in his boot and a gun in his holster.

"Since today." She said laughing and pulling on her black leather jacket and putting her black wedge heel boots on. "What's wrong with that?"

Both men shrugged. If Sage wanted to change in front of them who were they to tell her not to.

"Emili stay here." Dean said to her as he walked over to the door of the hotel room. "We can't worry about you while we're out on the case."

Sage holstered her hand gun on her hip and put a knife in her boot and one in a sheath on her back. "We can't leave her here. If we're wrong about this being the ghost then it could still come and kill her while we're gone." She said pulling her dark brown and purple hair into a low side ponytail. Her wild tresses looking even wilder than usual.

Sam nodded. "She's right Dean, we can't leave Emili here in case we're wrong. It's basically already a sure fact that the ghost is pissed off it didn't get a chance to kill her when it wanted to."

Emili stood up from where she had taken a seat on the edge of the closest bed to the door. "I don't wanna stay here. I could be helpful."

All of the hunters seriously doubted that but it was finally agreed that Emili was going with them. The four of them left the hotel just as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. The cemetery cause deserted just as they all figured it would be. It wasn't that hard to find James Carter's grave again once they knew what they were looking for. There was no sound in the cemetery except the very quiet sound of footsteps and occasionally the sound of Emili tripping over a root or a grave since she was the only one in the group not accustomed to wondering around in the dark.

"We need shovels." Dean said looking towards the direction of the ground keeper's shed.

"We got it." Sage told him gesturing to Emili and walking off towards the shed.

"It's padlocked, Sage." Emili said reaching for the chain and the lock.

"I can pick a lock." Sage pulled a bobby pin out of her leather jacket pocket and put it in the padlock, working it until it clicked open. "Easy as pie."

"Where'd you learn that?" Emili asked as Sage dropped the chain onto the ground and put the make shift lock pick back into her pocket.

"My parents taught me a variety of skills including some illegal ones when they taught me how to hunt." Sage told her as she pulled two long handled shovels off out of the shed.

Emili gave her a long look as she walked back to the Winchester's carrying two shovels. Sage rested her arm on each one until Sam and Dean took them from her and started digging. They said nothing while the boys dug and Sage kept looking over her shoulder for any signs of human life that might discover them. There was a loud hollow noise that came from the rather large hole in the ground. Sage's head wiped around at the sound and she looked down into the grave where the coffin had finally come into view below the dirt. Dean jumped down into the hole and cracked the coffin lid open and pulled it back off the grave at the same time Sage lit a match.

"It's empty!" Dean threw down his shovel and kicked the empty coffin. "Someone took the bones!"

Sage shook out the match and tossed it into the grave while Sam helped to pull Dean out of the grave. The Winchester's grabbed the shovels and put the dirt back inthe grave while Sage paced anxiously trying to think of what to do next. "Carl Richards. He has to have the bones since they aren't here." She tapped her finger against her lips and watched the boys shovel dirt into the grave.

"Where can we find him?" Sam said turning to Emili who was silent and wide eyed, sitting on top of a grave stone a little farther away from the hunters.

"Probably the gallery or his apartment. He spends a lot of time in his studio like most of the artists in the contest." Emili stated absently looking through Sam and Dean while they finished refilling the grave.

"We need to go, we need to stop him tonight so you don't have to look over your shoulder anymore." Sam said to her, lightly grabbing her arm and gently pulling her towards the Impala followed by Sage and Dean. Sage had pulled out a stick of cinnamon gum from her jacket pocket and stuck it in her mouth while offering the pack to Dean. He declined and instead pulled Bobby's flask out of his coat and took a swig of whatever alcohol happened to be in it.

Emili was shaking as she scooted into the back seat; she grabbed on to Sam's hand until he slid into the seat next to her. Sage took shotgun and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Her mouth was on fire due to the cinnamon gum but it was a good sort of fire. Dean turned his key, bringing their signature car to life. Dean floored it to the gallery, the whole time Sage leaned back with her eyes closed, chewing her gum, while Emili spent the time trying to keep her cool while she freaked on the inside. Sage didn't open her bright eyes until she felt the car stop. They were in front of the gallery.

"Sam, hand me my gun." Sage asked as she climbed out of the car and quietly closed her door.

Emili was shocked to see Sam pull a machine gun out from under the see and pass it out the door to Sage who slung it across her back. "Is that even legal?"

Sage's smile was completely devilish. "Not for civilians. It's military grade."

"And you need that thing? Isn't it marked or something?"

Sage shrugged. "Supposed to be but I've got some friends who can get me whatever it is I need, contacts I inherited from my parents when they died."

"Shh." Dean whispered, holding a finger to his lips as he pulled open the door to the gallery. Sage, Sam, and Dean all pulled their guns out at the same time and searched the main gallery for any sign of Carl Richards.

They moved through the gallery against the wall, keeping Emili between them since she wasn't armed.

"Oh my god! My studio!" Emili hissed seeing her door ajar. She broke from the formation and ran into her studio.

"Hell!" Dean said as he ran after her along with the others.

Sage closed the door behind them and turned the light on, sweeping her gun across the room. It was clean in the sense that there was no one else in the room except for the four of them, it was dirty in every other sense. The room was covered in pieces of sculpture and there was dust covering the floor and every surface in the room, tools were broken and thrown all over the room, Emili's apron had been ripped in half, and the piece of art she had been working on only the night before was now laying in fie large chucks on the floor, the table knocked down and kicked aside, upon seeing the room Emili's carefully crafted façade broke. She was pissed off, she was upset, and she was relieved she had been found by the hunters before Carl and his ghost got ahold of her which looked like it hadn't been much longer after she had fled with the hunters, the three people she probably owed her life to.

"He destroyed my studio because I wasn't here!" Emili kicked a piece of ceramic on the ground.

"At least you weren't here." Sage told her, still chewing the gum.

Sam nodded. "Let's go get this bastard."

"Do you know how to shoot?" Sage asked Emili as she passed her her handgun.

Emili nodded and took the gun from Sage's hand. "My father taught me how to shoot when we lived in New York City. He wanted me to know in case someone ever got into our apartment."

Sam cautiously opened the studio door and motioned for Emili to go over to him. "Which one belongs to Carl?" He whispered.

Emili pointed down an empty hallway. "It's all the way at the end, barely qualifies as a studio. It used to be a small storage closet. He really is the worst artist in the show."

Sam nodded and shushed her as she followed Sam down the hallway. She turned to see if Sage and Dean were still following and she noticed that Sage had pulled a rather large knife out of thin air. Sage flexed her hand around the handle of the large knife when Dean reached for her arm.

"Sam."

"I saw it." Sam knew that Dean meant the light on underneath the door that Emili had gestured to.

Emili didn't have to be told not to say anything once she saw that the light was on. Sam put his hand on the door handle and pushed it forward quickly on Dean's nod. All three hunters burst into the room before Emili, putting her in the back of the pack. Sage felt she could hold her own better with a knife then Emili could with a gun.

"What the hell? Who are you people?" Carl screamed, his freckled face turning red with his anger.

Sage broke from the Winchester's and took a step forward. "We're your worst nightmare." She smiled mischievously when she saw his face turn white once he caught sight of the large machine gun strapped to her back.

"Where are the bones Carl?" Dean asked him taking a step forward and standing by Sage, his gun still raised on the man.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Carl spat, his anger mixing with his fear.

Sage turned and nodded to Emili who slammed the door and locked it. In a flash Sage was on him, the blade of her menacing knife resting against his throat. She leaned and whispered in his ear, her voice dripping with venom. "I suggest you tell us exactly where James Carter's bones are and think you're smarter than we are. We checked his grave and it's empty."

"I don't have them." Carl was starting to sweat. The two men had guns trained on him as well Emili and the woman was as scary as she was hot with her large knife pressed to his throat.

"We know you have them scum bag." Dean growled, clicking the safety off on his gun and aiming for Carl's head. "I'm a pretty good shot Carl, I've been doing this my whole life."

Sage pressed the blade farther into Carl's throat causing him to grimace in pain. "We won't have a problem killing you and tearing the place apart looking for those bones. And believe me, we'd get away with it, we don't exist as far as anyone is concerned and we can cover our tracks. This is our life after all. Now tell me where are the bones?" Sage hissed pressing the knife blade until it broke skin.

"Lock box on the bottom shelf in the back." Carl said, his pupils growing wider when he felt the blood on his neck. "Crazy bitch cut me!" He scowled.

"She could do a lot worse, trust me." Dean said his face still expressionless. "Where's the key?"

"Taped underneath the work table." He sounded resigned and ready to give up but looks are deceiving.

Dean nodded to Sam who retrieved the key and found the old gray lock box just where Carl said it was. It took some jiggling before the lid of the box finally opened. Sage and Dean held their breath as Sam looked in the box.

"Their here." Sam said picking up the box and carrying it to the table. "Everything seems to be here too."

"Good." Sage said lightly dragging her knife across Carl's throat before walking over to the box and taking out her box of matches. "You ready to end this?"

"What are you doing? Don't do that, I'll never win the art contest!" Carl screamed.

"You destroyed my studio you bastard." Emili said with a violent bite to her usually calm voice. "You weren't gonna win anyway, even after killing Maria and Victor and Sarah and trying to kill me. You suck Carl." She aimed the gun at him carefully and held her position.

"You can't win now, you have no art left." Carl leered at her, more confident now that Sage's knife was off his throat.

"I've got some stuff." Emili shrugged.

"I'll come back for you, you and that other psycho bitch! I'll have my way with you and you won't be able to stop it!"

"Shut your mouth dirt bag!" Dean smacked Carl with his gun, cutting his temple down to the bone. "Next time, I'm shooting."

"I'm ending this!" Sage struck a match and tossed it into the bone box. They immediately ignited and a ghostly scream filled the room as the ghost of James Carter swirled into the room, pissed as hell as he lashed out at anything and everything until his ghost was destroyed as well as the bones. James Carter was gone forever.

"You bitch!" Carl lunged for Sage but she sidestepped and high kicked him right in the nose, breaking it as it went sideways.

"I can kick your ass." She said spitting her gum out onto the floor before driving her foot into his crotch so he went down on the ground. "Don't threaten me. I can kill you bare handed." She stood and shook out her hair, her bright green eyes showed him no mercy.

Sam turned to Emili. "Care to do it yourself? We can't leave him."

"I can't kill a man Sam, that's just not me." Emili said lowering her gun.

Sam nodded but before he could get off the kill shot on Carl Richard's another shot rang out. Dean had shot him, right between the eyes. Emili gasped. The emotions playing out on the rest of the hunters' faces were nothing. They were used to killing people, killing creatures, killing things.

"We should go." Sam said already on his way out of the studio.

No one said anything as they left the gallery. Emili was in shock while the three hunters were just thinking about their move. Emili grazed Sage's arm and passed her hand gun back to her which she promptly put away in her hip holster. There was no sign that anyone had any idea what had just happened in the gallery.

"We need to leave you here Emili, I'm sure you understand." Sam told her while Sage and Dean continued walking towards the car.

"I know. I'd figured you'd be leaving once you got rid of the ghost." Emili put her hands in her jeans pockets. "Thanks for protecting me."

"It's our job." That answer came from Dean who was standing by his open door with Sage at the other.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Here's my number, if you need something, call us. Goodbye Emili." Sam said his goodbye to her and walked off to the Impala and his life on the road.

"Goodbye Sam, Goodbye Sage and Dean." Emili waved to them as they called goodbye to her and pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the hotel to get the rest of their things before leaving town and going on their next hunt before the sun came up and Carl's body was discovered.

The hunters pulled up to the hotel and strolled in quickly to gather their things. Sage quickly threw her clothing back into her duffel bag as well as her weapons from the table. She also grabbed the vodka bottle they had been drinking and put that in her bag as well while Sam and Dean grabbed their cloths and all of their research material. It took them five minutes to grab their things and leave their key cards on the front desk.

"Where to?" Sage asked, tossing her duffel bag into the trunk and helping the boys load everything else.

"I'd say home." Dean told her as he went around to the drivers side. "We need to do more research on Dick Roman, his company, and Leviathan."

Sam nodded. "Especially if we're gonna let Sage go in to that party." Sam slammed the door and Sage walked around to Dean's side of the car.

"Let me drive Baby?" Sage asked blinking her bright green eyes at him and even using the name he gave his car.

Dean gave her a coy smile. "If you think you can handle it." He shook his keys in front of her.

She gave him her coy devilish smile and snatched the keys from his hands. "I know how to drive stick and I've got a motorcycle locked away in my old storage shed. I won't wreck her."

Dean looked at her cautiously as he climbed into the back seat. Sage smiled to herself as she pulled out into the night and drove off in the direction of the cabin that the three of them called home. It was her home now, being with the Winchesters, not alone anymore.


	10. Two Broken Souls

The sun was already shining brightly into Sage's bedroom by the time she opened her piercing bright green eyes. She sat up and stretched, running her fingers through her dark hair and smiling upon seeing the streaks of purple. She slowly climbed out of bed and wandered into the kitchen wearing her black cotton short shorts and a plain white tank top. Her hair was wild and unbrushed but still maintained some sort of control so it was as crazy as she had seen It before.

"It's past 11 Sage." Sam laughed handing her a cup of coffee, black.

Sage took the mug and wrapped her hands around it taking a sip. "I'm allowed to sleep in sometimes." She said sinking down on the couch beside Dean who once again had the news on. "More on Dick Roman?" She asked taking another sip of her coffee and tucking her long legs underneath her body.

"Not yet. I'm looking for something that could potentially be a case for us." Dean told her never taking his eyes off of the screen.

Sage nodded thinking that it had been almost a month since their last case. "Find anything?"

"Maybe." Dean said to her not even noticing when Sam sat down on his brother's other side.

"There have been a series of murders in a night club in Las Vegas. Mostly men but a couple were women. There doesn't seem to be any connection between them except they all frequented the same club." Sam told her taking a bite of his cereal.

"How'd they die?" Sage asked watching the average looking male anchor tell the story of the deaths that happened at the same club.

"Nobody really knows. They just dropped dead, no drugs in their systems or anything like that." Dean said picking up his own coffee mug off the table and taking a drink.

"Why haven't they closed the club if people that go there keep dying?" Sage took another sip of her coffee.

"There's no reason to. They can't actually tie the deaths to the club so therefore it can stay open and people keep going despite what has happened there." Sam said turning to look at her.

"Are we going to Vegas?" She smiled a mischievous smile at the thought of hunting in the city that never sleeps and being there with the Winchesters.

"Oh yeah, we're going." Dean responded finishing his coffee and then getting up to grab another cup from the kitchen while Sage was still nursing her.

"I've always wanted to see Sin City." Sage said casually, watching Dean out of the corner of her eyes. She knew she was falling for him but she couldn't bring herself to actually think about it. Although her feelings for Tristan dwindled every day and she no longer loved him as anything more than just a distant memory it was still hard for her to think about possibly loving another man, but she knew if she was ever going to allow herself to love someone again, that someone would be Dean Winchester.

"Come on then, let's pack up and head out. Sin City is a long way out from here." Sam said taking a long drink of his coffee and finishing off the cup before heading into his room to pack up his stuff to head out.

Sage slowly stood up and stepped over Dean's legs to go grab her things from her room. "Vegas," she said, "City of hookers, casinos, drinking, and CSI." She laughed her whimsical laugh and packed up the usual things in her duffel bag including casual clothes and FBI attire along with some party clothes in case they went undercover. She also threw in her weapons and her FBI badge.

"We ready to go?" She asked Sam who was the only one standing in the room when she came out of her room with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Sam looked up from the beer that he had opened and shrugged at her. "We should be. Vegas is a long drive. Beer?" Sam held his hand out to Sage who took it from his hand and took a long swig.

"A little early for beer don't you think?" She handed it back as she said those words.

"With our job, it's never too early for beer." Dean replied coming into the room silent as death.

Sage turned to Dean who stood against the doorway wearing black jeans a black Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt underneath his leather jacket. "That's true."

"Let's go." Dean grabbed his gun from the counter top as well as a beer that Sam had set out for him and headed out towards the car.

Sage followed him looking the door behind her although there really wasn't much of a point because they lived near no one and nothing. She tossed her bag into the backseat and climbed in, sprawling out on the seat and pulling out a bottle of vodka that still remained from their hotel a couple weeks ago. She uncapped the bottle and took a long swig.

"Look who's drinking now." Dean said to her, looking in the rearview mirror with his cocky smile.

"I'm not driving. You have a beer while you're driving." Sage told him, swirling the contents of the liquor bottle around with her right hand which was dangling off the bench seat.

"Might as well be water." He replied taking a long swig before putting it back in the cupholder. "I'm not drinking straight vodka."

"I gained a tolerance as a teenager when I was always partying." She laughed softly. "That life is behind me though."

"Has been for awhile from what you have told me. More hunting, less partying." Sam told her jumping into their conversation.

"That's not me anymore so yeah I guess you could say that." She replied pulling out her laptop and hooking it up to their mobile hotspot. She opened the lid and got on the internet looking up hotels on the Vegas strip.

"So, strictly business or will there be pleasure on this hunt?" Dean turned to Sam, looking mischievous.

"Pleasure how?" Sam questioned fully aware of Sage in the backseat which is why he asked the question. He didn't want Dean trying to pick up random women just to keep Sage at a distance.

"Hitting the casino, going to bars, not women if that's what you were thinking."

Sam and Sage both let out quiet sighs of relief. "We'll be hitting the club." Sage piped in.

Sam turned to look at her. She shrugged. "The best way to get information of a people from a Vegas club is not at the FBI but as other patrons bringing our badges just in case. We're going more undercover. I hope you packed your club clothes."

Both Winchesters gave each other a look that said they weren't big fans of hitting some club to work a case. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, besides." Sage gave them both a mischievous smile in the rearview mirror. "You'll both get to grind on me all night as part of our cover. Well that and if the creature mostly takes men you should stay with me in the first place.

Neither man said anything as they thought about the benefits of having Sage as their dance partner for a night. They came to the same conclusion that it wouldn't really be a bad thing to go to the club with her.

Sage took another drink from the vodka bottle before screwing the cap back on and putting it on the floor. "Told you it wouldn't be so bad." She clicked around on her computer before shutting it down again and replacing it in her duffel bag. "We're staying at the Luxor."

"What?" Dean turned around to look around her before quickly turning back to the road that no one besides themselves seemed to be traveling on.

"Yes The Luxor, the big one that looks like a pyramid. I figured since we are gonna be in Vegas, we might as well stay in style." She smiled and laid down closing her eyes.

"The Luxor, it could be fun to stay at a hotel like that for once, in a town that isn't really a small town but a big thriving city." Sam said thinking more aloud than actually talking to either Dean or Sage.

Dean nodded. "It sure has been awhile since we have been in a real city, working a case."

"Hey Sage, are you asleep?" Sam asked seeing her in the backseat with her eyes closed.

"I would be if you didn't ask me a question." Sage smiled and laughed, lightly punching his arm. "There really isn't any better way for me to pass the time on such a long car trip."

Dean shrugged. "She's right, I'd probably sleep if I wasn't driving." He finished up his beer and discarded the bottle on the floor of the passenger's side of the Impala.

"We've got a couple hours, I might as well join her especially if we are gonna be out clubbing out tonight to work on the case so who knows how late we will be out." Sam said leaning his seat back and closing his eyes. "Hope you won't be too lonely with everyone asleep."

"Very funny Sammy. Shut your cake hole and go to sleep." Dean told him as he turned onto the interstate and headed towards Nevada. Sam just laughed and fell asleep along with Sage.

It was hours later before Sage opened her eyes to see the Vegas skyline on the horizon. She rubbed her bright green eyes and sat up on the seat to see Sam still sleeping in the passenger seat. "How close?"

Her soft, airy voice shocked Dean a little bit since he was expecting her to still be sleeping. "An hour or so." He replied catching her gaze in the rearview mirror. "Sammy has been asleep has been asleep almost as long as you have."

Sage nodded. "I don't like being awake in the car for hours. There's nothing to do. It bored me to death when I was on my own and I was the only one to keep myself company."

"I could have used the company." Dean told her matter of factly as he continued on their course to Sin City.

"I'll try to stay awake next time." She smiled at him before stretching out her legs and kneading her calves.

Dean said nothing as they passed a sign broadcasting the Las Vegas city limits. The sun had set in the sky about 2 hours ago and it was now nighttime and dark except for the lights coming off the rather large buildings in the city. "He doesn't know."

"What do you mean he doesn't know?" Sage asked leaning forward in the middle of the seat and resting her arms on the shoulders of the seats in front of her.

"Sam. He doesn't know what happened with us on that case a couple weeks ago."

"I know. I didn't tell him. I don't wanna tell him because we don't know when it's gonna happen." Sage bit her bottom lip and reached back to remove her seatbelt so she could move further forward.

"I didn't see a need to tell him either." Dean said pulling into the city and searching the sky for the large pyramid that would alert them as to where they were gonna stay for the duration of the case.

Sage's mind wandered back to that night. "I've never really been comfortable around anyone I've been with before. Not my parents, not my multiple friends, not my couple boyfriends, not my casual flings as a teenager. Not even Tristan."

Dean turned around briefly before looking back to the road. "I don't understand."

"I've never felt comfortable with other people. I've never felt right around them. Well, not until you and Sam that is. I was actually surprised that I feel comfortable and right with you."

Dean turned around again, for a longer span of time, and looked at her. "You feel like that around me?"

"Yeah I do, with you and Sam. But with you it's different, more complete, more real. It's hard to explain." Sage tried to find the best words that she could to tell Dean what she was trying to explain. I'd be easier to explain with actions instead of words, she thought.

Dean slowly turned back to facing the road and took a few long deep breathes. He couldn't decide whether or not he should tell Sage what was on his mind after the things that she had just told him.

"Sage," He sighed running his hand through the hair on the top of his head.

She looked at him with her large piercing green eyes and waited for him to finish his thought since she had finally caught on to the fact that it was hard for him to share his real feelings with people, even people he had been close to for a long time, even Sam.

"You make me different. That's cheesy but I can't really say it the way I want to. For some reason, it's like you said, I'm comfortable with you. I've never been that way with a woman before, with anyone besides Sammy for that matter."

Sage softly laid her hand down on Dean's arm and he made no effort to pull it away from her. "I know what you're talking about. There was always a wall with me and Tristan and part of it was because he didn't know that I was a hunter but in my heart I knew there was way more to it than just that. We weren't ever gonna last, I would have left if he hadn't died. I don't know when I would have left him but it would have happened. He deserved better than someone who was always gone and kept secrets and didn't love him the way he deserved. There's no wall with you Dean."

Dean looked at her as he turned into The Luxor parking lot and headed to the underground parking garage. "You're right, there's no wall, not between you and me. But we're broken Sage."

"We're two broken souls who ended up finding each other somehow." She briefly rested her head on his shoulder before lifting it again and looking around the garage for a parking spot.

"I've never really seen myself with anyone for long periods of time. That's never been who I am. With you, I know you'll always be there." Dean spoke slowly absently moving his right arm and slowly wrapping one of Sage's loose curls around his finger.

"Neither have I. Tristan used to be the closest but like I said I knew there was gonna be an end sometime. I don't see you going anywhere, I always see you in my future." Sage took a long pause thinking she may have said too much. Neither her nor Dean was a very open person or good at sharing their feelings but they both were right now. "I think that a hunter has to be with another hunter or there is no chance of it working out. I think that we were thrown together because that's where we're supposed to be. Fate, I guess you could say. I don't care how it sounds Dean, I think it's supposed to be me and you together. Everything sure did align properly for that to happen."

Dean said nothing for the longest time as he let her words sink in while he pulled the Impala into a parking spot and shut off the engine. One glance over to his younger brother proved that he was still sleeping. "I thought so too." He was still twirling and untwirling Sage's strand of hair while he spoke.

Sage didn't want to mention how he was playing with her hair in case he stopped because she really didn't mind it. She waited expecting, waiting for Dean to say more.

"I never thought I would find someone worth being with." Dean continued staring off straight ahead at the large black pick up truck in front of the car. "I really wanted to hate you in the beginning and then I just wanted to keep you far away from me, to keep you out of my heart."

"I know you did. I could tell. Why'd you try to keep me out Dean?" Sage ran her fingers over his forearm as she spoke.

"I didn't wanna get close to you in case I lost you. I didn't want someone else in my heart but you're close." Dean bit the inside of his lip, regretting that last part. He knew what happened when he sometimes said too much. He looked to her green eyes and tried to gauge her reaction.

"So you think that one huh? The one worth being with?" Sage asked him holding his gaze and feeling that his finger had stopped spinning her curl.

"Yeah I do. The only one I've met worth being with." Damn! What the hell is it about this woman that makes me say things like that even if they are true? Dean wondered after those words had slipped out of his lips.

Sage smiled and lightly squeezed his arm before pulling her hand back. "I think you're the one worth being with too. There's no one else that I've been with who I feel the same way about as I do with you."

"So are you ready to give us a try?" Dean asked her carefully pulling his finger out of her hair so he didn't tangle it.

"Soon Dean. I wanna make sure that I'm completely over Tristan's death and I wanna get used to being with you more." Sage smiled and moved to take his hand. He let her. Her hand was so slender and it was still smooth despite the fact that she had been hunting long enough her hands should be well callused.

"That makes sense. I don't want anything to be left over from what happened with him when we get together." Dean replied still holding on to Sage's hand.

"I don't have feelings for Tristan anymore, I just wanna be completely sure before diving in again, to something more." Sage smiled at him and Dean couldn't take it anymore. He took his other hand off the steering wheel, where it had been since he parked the car, and put in on the small of her back pulling her closer. Before she had time to react he kissed her, much like the first time they kissed, a lot of surprise and sparks. She kissed him back before pulling away and smiling at him again.

"I thought we weren't gonna do that again for awhile." She half questioned and half reminded him of what they had talked about in the hotel room a couple weeks ago.

"I didn't think we'd end up talking about the potential for us again." Dean countered just about the time that Sam finally came around and opened his chocolate brown eyes.

"Where are we?" He asked, wiping the sleep from his eyes and stretching out his legs.

"The parking garage at The Luxor." Sage told him while she made sure all of her things were gathered up in her bag before they all climbed out of the car.

"I was just about to wake up but we had basically just pulled him only briefly before you woke up." Dean hated telling his brother that lie and so did Sage, but she was right; they shouldn't tell Sam about them until they were officially together and not just talking about the potential and the future of the two of them so they both kept their mouths shut.

Dean and Sam climbed out of the Impala followed quickly by Sage. The three hunters made their way to the elevator up to the lobby with everything they might need stuffed inside their duffel bags. The plan for the night was showers followed by hitting the nightclub that all the dead people and frequented. Sam pushed the up button while Sage caught Dean's hazel eyes in the reflection on the silver door and smiled at him. Sam briefly caught a glimpse of it and he was slowly starting to put the pieces of the strange puzzle together although he wasn't going to tell them that. He wanted the two of them to be together just as much as they wanted to be together. They were two broken souls who found each other and deserved to be happy together. Sam smiled to himself at the thought as the doors opened into the exquisite lobby of The Luxor.


	11. Sage and Dean: A New Start

It was completely dark outside by the time the hunters were ready to hit the night club and get some in tell on their case. Dean dressed in black jeans with holes in the knees and a plain black t-shirt with his leather jacket. Sam was dressed similarly in his dark blue well-worn jeans and a dark green shirt with a black collared one over the top. Those were the closest things to club clothes that they had with them, but Sage was a different story. She was dressed totally ready to go to the club. Her dark hair was left to hang low but she had mousse for extra volume and a tousled look. Her eyes had a cover of purple eyeshadow on them for a smoky eye look and there her pouty lips shone with a coat of silver gloss. Her long shapely legs were completely bare since she was wearing a dark acid wash denim miniskirt with worn spots on the fabric that only went down to slightly above her midthigh. Her torso was clad in a plum purple silk halter top with a plunging neckline. Her upper back was completely uncovered and part of her stomach showed in the front right at her waist. On her feet she was wearing black and silver 4 inch wedge heels that were very edgy in their design and left the insides of her feet mostly open. Both of the Winchesters were completely shocked at her appearance, so different from the Sage LaRouche they usually saw.

She smiled, a similar expression that looked so different in her current attire and especially with her silver lips.

"You're like a hot android!" Dean told her looking her up and down.

"Um, thank you… I think." Sage laughed.

"What's the name of this club anyway?" Dean said turning his attention to Sam who had just managed to pull his gaze from Sage.

"Up All Night. And believe it or not, they are open until 5 am." Sam replied skimming an article he had printed off of a news site about the deaths. "It's located on the Strip very close to The Bellagio." Sam finished paraphrasing what the paper said about the location.

Sage dug her FBI badge out of her duffel bag and put it in the front pocket of her skirt as well as with an ID for one of her aliases. "No weapons." She said once she noticed that Sam and Dean were both holstering their hand guns. "Especially that one." She gestured to Dean's Colt.

"Why?" Dean challenged her.

"Undercover remember? Weapons would give us away and we'd never get past the bouncers." Sage countered, making sure her weapons were carefully stowed away in her bag.

"Fine, but if we get attacked our lack of fire power is on your head." Dean told her removing his gun just as Sam packed his away.

"We all know the plan?" Sam said as he checked to make sure everything was in order before the three of them left the room.

"We've all got room keys in case we get separated, cell phones too. You and Dean are going to be my arm candy for lack of a better word. We'll all spend the night together at the club dancing, drinking, and socializing trying to get information casually on these deaths, the people involved, and anything strange that happened, as well as observing the crowd for anything that doesn't seem human." Sage and Dean told him, their words not exactly matching so it came out as more of a jumble of the plan but they all had the plan down.

Sam nodded leaving the hotel room followed by his brother and Sage.

"We should either walk or take a taxi." Sage spoke up pushing the down button on the elevator. "It's like New York City at night here, you don't wanna drive in it if you can help it."

Dean gave her a skeptical look.

"I've been to Vegas before. My parents worked a case here a long time ago and that's one thing I remember." She shrugged and absently ran her hand over her tattoo.

"I was thinking about that anyway. I don't wanna leave Dean's baby out in the open in Las Vegas." Sam said pushing the lobby button insead the rather large elevator.

Sage bit her fingernail, careful not to chip the black polish she had applied a couple nights before. "Sam, how well can you hold your liquor?"

Sam looked at her baffled for a moment. What? Why?"

She caught his eye and he noticed that the green stood out even brighter in contrast to her purple eyeshadow. "We're gonna need to be drinking a lot tonight to fit in with the regular all night club scene and I don't want any of us actually drunk, which is something I know Dean and I won't have a problem with since we have a high tolerance but I didn't know about you since I've never seen it."

"I can hold my liquor, not as well as Dean or you either I'm assuming. I won't get drunk, when it's time for me to stop, I will." Sam told her watching the floors countdown until they reached the ground level. "How can you hold your liquor so well? You are extremely tiny!"

Sage laughed as the elevator doors pinged open and she stepped out into the lobby and was greeted by open mouthed stares from most of the men in the lobby. "Years of practice. I used to party hard so I got used to it."

Sam and Dean both noticed the stares she got but neither one of them said anything until they were outside The Luxor trying to hail a cab. "Every guy in there had eyes on you." Dean remarked casually trying to hail a cab New York style.

Sage smiled mischievously. "You think that was something, wait til we get to the club."

Neither one of them had a chance to digest her statement before a cab pulled up to the curb and the hunters piled in. "Where to?" the cabbie asked before pulling out into traffic.

"Up All Night." Sage called sitting in the middle of the two men already acting her part.

The cabbie nodded and pulled out into traffic headed towards their destination.

"How long are we staying?" Sam asked her in a low voice.

Sage leaned in and lightly whispered in his ear. "Until we think we have all the information that we have a chance of getting out of the club crowd."

"Too bad, you're such a good hunter," Dean muttered to her under his breath, "Because you may have missed your calling as an actor."

Sage laughed and laid her hand on his thigh. "Acting isn't my thing. I prefer what I do. Acting is too fake and cut throat for me, every once and a while though it is fun to act different."

Dean glanced to her hand on his thigh before finding her eyes. "Besides I wouldn't have met you guys if I hadn't become a hunter." Sage told him leaning in to his neck before she spoke.

Dean smiled at her theatrics and it definitely wasn't unpleasant to have her that close to him and acting flirty. He looked up the building that the cab had just stopped in front of. The large aqua neon sign proclaimed that it was their destination. It was rather large for a nightclub. From the outside you could tell that it was clearly a two story building and there some strobe lights and colored lights coming from the inside. The hunters piled out of the cab and looked at the line to enter the club. It wasn't extremely long but it covered the front side of the building. Sage and Dean moved together to get in line while Sam pulled out some cash to pay the driver before he walked over to join them.

"Hand." The bouncer said in a bored monotone voice to the three hunters even though he looked at Sage when he said it.

Sage glanced over at Dean and then Sam before stretching her hand out to the large white man at the door. He took a stamp and quickly stamped her hand along with the other hunters. Sage raised her hand to look at the stamp and saw that it was a wolf and a moon and it was meant to show up underneath a black night. Strange that would be the image used but she just shrugged and opened the large door that lead into the mad house.

"Oh. My. God." Sage breathed taking in the atmosphere. There were bodies writhing all over the room except at the bar that took up one whole wall and some of the tables that were up on platforms around the room as well. There were groups at the tables simply drinking and clearly too shy to dance. There were random singles at the bar, hitting on each other, and ordering drink after drink. If you looked up to the second floor there were small tables, similar to those in a café as well as large couches and a very small dance floor. The strobe lights had stopped by there was still a killer light show going on inside the whole club even though it wasn't dark.

"Damn." Sam and Dean said at the same time taking in the same sights that Sage did.

Sage got a mischievous smile on her face before she grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him towards the dancefloor with Sam following close behind.

"What are you doing? We need to get some information on our case and try to find the killer." Dean told her as reached her destination and turned to face him.

"We need to blend in first. We have to look like we belong here and not like we came here for information like we're the police." Sage whispered pulling him close and wrapping her arms around his neck. She started swaying her hips to the upbeat club music of the song Teeth by Lady GaGa.

Sam came up beside them and had to almost shout over the music. "I'm gonna go to the bar, get a drink, and try to get some information. I won't go anywhere private with anyone just in case."

Dean nodded and slid his hands down to Sage's hips and moved along with her, moving close to her body until they were basically touching. She smiled while she grinded against him, an action that brought a cocky smile to his face. "You're really putting some kind of show aren't you?" Dean asked her leaning into her and whispering in her ear which caused shivers down her spine.

"Who says I'm just acting?" She responded noticing the looks they were getting from other couples, jealous looks from most of them; the men wanted to dance with her and the women wanted to dance with him or they just wanted their partners to stop looking. "You know we're getting a lot of looks."

Dean smiled when Sage ran one of her hands up the back of his neck and through his hair. "We're close to being the center of attention and yet we're still anonymous." Dean mused. "What a thought."

Sage threw her head back and laughed pressing her body against Dean's and feeling his muscles beneath his shirt. "They're jealous of us Dean." She breathed softly leaning in to him and pressing her lips to his ear.

He smiled his cocky smile again and moved his hands closer to the small of her back but still leaving them on her hips. She swayed back and forth moving her arms in time with her hips but in opposite directions. "Jealous, that's a thought." Dean said managing to catch Sage's eyes when she turned her head back to looking at him.

Sage rolled her eyes and then noticed a woman talking to the DJ over Dean's shoulder. "What do you think about that?" She asked using her hand to gesture over his shoulder.

Dean turned abruptly spinning Sage as he turned around. She laughed and turned so her back was to his chest. "You mean the girl that looks like a cheap hooker talking to the DJ?"

"Yes, her." Sage said threading her fingers through his and raising both her arms above her head and she twisted down his body before coming back up again.

"Could be her." Dean replied moving his hips against Sage and placing both their hands back on her hips. "She's definitely trying to get something out of him."

Sage nodded and looked over to where Sam was in a seemingly deep conversation with a heavily tattooed man who wasn't altogether unattractive. Sam was drinking a beer and there was an empty one next to him. So far so good, she thought. "She's flirting with everything she has. If it doesn't work though, I'd say that's not her."

"Hopefully Sammy is getting something useful out of Mr. Tattoo over there." Dean said trying to pick up some sort of vib from across the room.

"Hopefully." Sage replied, grinding on Dean again.

He had to admit that he liked having her as his dance partner even if it was only for tonight and maybe a couple more nights if they had to come back. He liked Sage and he liked dancing with her, especially like this. He liked feeling her body against his own and touching her like she was his alone. She pulled her hands from his and moved them back to his thighs, leaving his hands alone on her hips. He was surprised and happy to notice that her hips were bare since her shirt was already short and showed off her stomach. As she moved against his body, he slid his hands across her stomach and then back to her hips. Sage wasn't gonna admit it but she liked having Dean put his hands on her like he was doing while they danced. She liked dancing against his body and feeling his muscles beneath his shirt and his arms against hers. His hands were rough but she liked the way they felt against her bare skin on her hips. She could have stayed in the moment like that with him for a long time, in the club, dancing, body to body. It was hot and they didn't have a need to worry about anything or being caught. They had a plan and they were doing what they were supposed to be doing in the moment.

Sage quickly maneuvered around through his arms and turned around to face him again, still swaying to the fast music with the killer bass. She ran one of her hands through her hair and pulled it out of her face, the other hand she slid down Dean's chest to his waistband before moving her hand back to his chest. She looked across to the bar where Sam was sitting drinking his fourth beer. The tattooed man had just gotten up and followed a tiny blonde women who also had a lot of tattoos. They crossed the dancefloor and headed up the spiral staircase to the upper level of the club. Sam was joined by someone else a young brunette who was tall as a supermodel and just as thin. He better be careful, Sage thought to herself, That's a woman and a very pretty one who could very well be our killer. He better not go off alone with her. The entire time Sage noticed this she never stopped dancing to the music or took her hands off Dean.

"Hey Dean," Sage began turning her attention back to the man who had been her dance partner for the past hour or so but she never got to finish her thought.

Dean leaned in and kissed her, a kiss that was both soft and rough at the same time, much like Dean's personality. There was no hesitation this time when Sage kissed him back. The rest of the club continued to dance around them if they hadn't turned to look since Dean and Sage had stopped dancing right where they were. They're kissing was different this time, there were still sparks like Sage suspected there always would be but this time when they kissed it wasn't a long single kiss or a couple of kisses. It was open mouth kissing, their lips parted and it was more inviting, intimate. Sage pulled herself closer to Dean when she felt his fingers twine into her hair and his other arm wrap around her lower back and press her body into his. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she used her fingers to run through the hair at the base of his neck and the back of his head. It was different kissing Dean this way than it ever was kissing him before or any other man for that matter, the few women she had been with too. Their kissing grew stronger, more passionate, so different from those couple times they'd kissed before. He pulled her hard against his body, his hands were hungry as they moved over her back and through her hair; his kissing was starting to match the intensity of his traveling hands. Her hands traveled through his hair and she slid her other hand over the part of his chest that wasn't pressed against her. They could both hear the whistles from the men around them and the things they called as well but neither of the cared, they were literally and figuratively tangled up in each other. Dean slipped his tongue into her mouth and she quickly did the same, moving her body as one with the man she was quickly falling in love with. They stood there and kissed each other like that for another few minutes, both tangled up in each other, their bodies pressed hard against one another, their tongues exploring every inch of the other's mouth. Their hair was disheveled and their hands were exploring each other almost as much as their tongues were. The pair quickly pulled apart when a bartender carrying a tray of shots bumped into Dean.

"Dude, I'm sorry I didn't mean to mess up your action." The bartender stumbled over his words and quickly left with his tray to one of the tables in the back of the club where a group of girls that were clearly there for a bachelorette party were sitting, finishing up their current round of shots and hooped and hollered when the next tray was delivered.

Sage looked over to the group of girls before looking back to Dean. She was still standing just as close to him as she was when they were kissing, her arms were still around him and his arms were still around her waist. "Dean." She said, looking into his hazel eyes. "We just can't manage to stay away from each other."

"Then maybe we should stop trying." Dean told her, moving a hand to brush some stray hairs off of her face, his fingers grazing the soft apple of her cheek.

"Dean, is that really the best idea?" Sage asked him allowing him to take her hand and pull her from the dance floor and up the spiral staircase to the second floor. It took him a moment before he located a vacant alcove with a large round cushion to sit or lay on and a gauzy curtain to pull over the opening for privacy. The two of them sat down and Dean pulled the curtain closed so they could talk without being seen, although they both knew that was not what most couples did in the same spot they were sitting now.

"Do you wanna be with me or not?" Dean asked her flat out, never taking his eyes off of her face.

"What? Dean of course I wanna be with you." Sage told him carefully tucking her legs underneath her body so her skirt didn't ride up. "I've told you that I wanna be with you."

"So what's stopping you?" Dean asked her, leaning forward and just tempting her to kiss him again.

"You know what I've said before, I wanna make sure I'm over-" Dean cut her off by kissing her once again, just as soft and rough as it had been out on the dance floor.

"What do you feel?" He asked her as he pulled away from her taking in her bright green eyes.

"Sparks Dean, in all honesty, even if that sounds cliché." She smiled her big beautiful smile and looked at him. "It's happened every time we've kissed. What do you feel?"

"Everything's different with you Sage, including kissing. You make me feel what no one else ever could. I guess sparks would be a good definition of what happens when I kiss you. You're a highly addictive drug." Why does she do this to me? Make me talk like this, act like this, I'm a different person around her, well a softer version of who I always am. She sees what no one else sees in me, the things I hid from everyone.

"What happened to waiting until I was ready?" Sage asked, lightly biting her lower lip and running her fingers through her hair to get it out of her face.

"I think you're ready now or you wouldn't keep getting into situations like this with me." Dean gave her his cocky smile before he moved closer to her. "You wouldn't have kissed me like you did downstairs. So tell me, do you have any feelings left for Tristan or not? Do you ever think about him? Do you ever think about him when you're with me?" His face was completely serious, betraying no emotion.

Sage thought about his words for a minute while she chewed on her lower lip before she replied, "I don't have any feelings for him anymore, it's sad he died in such a horrible way and I feel a bit of leftover guilt but no more feelings. I think about him every so often, briefly, and never when I'm with you. It's all I can do to stay focused on a case when I'm around you like this." Sage's words were completely truthful and Dean could hear it in her voice. "You're right Dean, I wanna give us a try." She smiled at him and leaned in.

Dean smiled, really smiled at her. "I knew you wanted to."

He moved closer to her and kissed her again, crawling over her until she was laying back against the soft plush cushion beneath them. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sage had to admit, it felt even better to kiss Dean and know that she had him. She wouldn't have to try to stay away from him anymore. She could kiss him when she wanted to like she did right now. Dean wrapped one of his arms underneath her upper back and run the fingers on his other hand through her hair right beside her face. He wasn't holding his body up anymore, he was laying on top of her but he was careful not to crush her even though she didn't seem all that worried about it. It was like they had never stopped kissing downstairs in the club, like that bartender had never ran into them and broken them up. It was effortless, being with Dean the way they were now, just being with him at all actually. They just fit together on a deep level that was hard to example, that neither one of them really understood yet, they just knew they couldn't keep away from each other.

It was another few minutes before Sage slowly pulled away from Dean's embrace. "We're supposed to be working here tonight." She said slowly, realizing they had kind of ditched work and weren't paying any attention in looking for this female creature that had been killing club patrons.

"Right, and we had our eyes on the girl that was flirting with the DJ." Dean said trying to figure out where she was coming from.

"Yeah, we did until we became distracted in each other and otherwise engaged."

Dean's cocky smile broke across his face. "If the DJ is still there, we'll figure he's okay, or at least he will be until the club clears out and that's only if it was her."

"But we also left Sam downstairs, alone, at the bar with no female buffer to keep him from being approached and going off with her. We need to go make sure he is still there."

Dean nodded and pulled back the curtains to alcove where he stepped out, followed quickly by Sage, and headed back down the spiral staircase and out onto the main level of the club where most of the party was happening. Sage's bright eyes scanned the bar looking for Sam. It was a moment before she found him again, this time talking to a couple who appeared to be dressed in designer clothing.

"He's fine." Sage said, gesturing in the direction of the bar where Sam was still drinking another beer. Sage pulled Dean to a stop. "Dance with me."

"But the case." Dean said attempting to protest.

"Just one more song." Sage pouted, lightly biting her bottom lip in a flirty way.

"One more." Dean said, laying his hands on her bare hips and swaying and grinding with her to My Darkest Days' Move Your Body.

Sage slid her hands over his toned chest before raising them over her head and sliding down his body, almost to the ground until she came back up and pressed her body against his. "Do you think Sam saw us kiss?"

Dean smirked at her and leaned in, breathing in her ear before he spoke. "I think everyone in the club saw us kiss babe." He winked at her.

"So if he saw then it's no secret." Sage replied, swinging her hips to the beat. She moved one of her hands to the back of his neck and ran the fingers on her other hand over his body.

"You're right." Dean said, moving his hands closer to the small of her back. "I thought that was the point."

As a response Sage leaned up and kissed him again while she continued to move to the music. "It is. But we should be careful until after Roman's party. Just to be safe."

Dean couldn't argue with that. The only way Sage was able to get into that party is because Roman knew nothing about her, she was still their wild card, their ace in the hole. "I'm still not a big fan of this plan." Dean told her while she grinded on him.

"Neither am I, but the hunters in all of us won out because we need the information." Sage told him while she reached and grab a shot glass from nearby bartender with a tray of shots. It was clear so she assumed it was vodka or gin. "Woah!" She downed it quickly and soon realized that it was tequila.

Dean just looked at her before taking her hand and slipping through the crowd of dancers, most of them a lot more tipsy than they were an hour ago. "We should see what Sam found out."

Sage nodded and put her glass back on the bar once they reached the spot where Sam was sitting, this time drinking a coke. "Get anything useful?" She called over the music.

"Yeah actually, basically everyone wants to talk about the murders and mention anything they think about them. What about you guys?"

Sage and Dean exchanged a look. "We saw a woman talking to the DJ, she seemed kinda suspicious but the DJ is still there and she left."

"That's it?" Sam asked, quite surprised.

"We were kinda busy." Sage said mischievously, signaling the bartender to bring her a cosmopolitan.

"I saw your kiss." Sam said matter-of-factly as the bartender returned with Sage's drink. When neither one of them said anything Sam started to get it. "Wait, you mean that was real?"

"Ummm, yeah." Dean said, looking at the expression on his brothers face.

"So you two are together now?"

"Yeah, you can definitely say that." Sage smiled and took a sip of her drink.

"I knew it!" Sam exclaimed. "It was bound to happen one day! Can I have a beer for my brother?" Sam directed that last part to the bartender and was wiping up some sipped beer from the counter.

Dean took the bottle that the man handed to him and took a swig. Sage laughed softly at Sam's outburst. "Working with us isn't going to change." Sage offered trying to explain her and Dean.

Sam just laughed. "Working might not change but being around you two otherwise will be different. Have you thought about sleeping together yet?"

Sage almost choked at the suddenness of the question but neither of them said anything because they had both thought about it but neither was willing to admit to it right now.

"That will definitely be something different. I don't think you'll be able to go very long without sleeping together." Sam smirked and took the last drink of his coke.

"No one said we were gonna try to do that." Dean countered, already finished with half of his beer.

Sage laughed and carefully swirled the contents of her glass. "So, what'd you find out?"

"I'll tell you back at the hotel, we've got a little while longer to try and get some more information. Why don't you actually do that this time?"

Dean punched him in the arm before ordering another beer and headed off in the direction of a table where another couple was seated drinking beers together. Sage gave Sam a playful look before she followed Dean over to the table and sat down beside him. Sam looked after them for a moment before he ordered another beer from himself and sat and drank it, pleased that his brother had finally found the right woman and it didn't take forever for him to realize it.


	12. Shared Pasts

"What'd you find out?" Dean asked his brother when he closed the door to their extremely nice hotel, the nicest one they had ever stayed at; they wouldn't have this time either except it was Sage that booked the hotel and she seemed to better with the fake credit cards than they were. When they asked her about it, she only said that she had a friend with great connections who get her whatever she wanted and that it would look 100% legitimate.

"Enough to start on." Sam replied flopping down on the bed and glancing at the clock which read 4:23 in the morning.

"What is it?" Sage asked while she wandered around the spacious room looking at the decorations before exploring the bathroom.

"All of the victims, including the women, were all seen hitting up hot women at the club and drinking all night long, on more than night. The victims were all regulars and were known for being huge flirts."

"So wait, some of our victims were lesbians?!" Dean exclaimed, suddenly more interested than he was before.

"Yeah, they were. So our killer could be bisexual or simply a creature with no preference." Sam replied, giving his brother a funny look.

Dean smirked. "That's hot. Our killer is most likely a woman then."

"I heard that Dean!" Sage called from the bathroom. "There's a freaking Jacuzzi tub in here!"

The brothers ignored her comment about the tub and continued talking about the case. "Did you learn anything else?"

Sam got up to change his clothes for bed and close the curtains to their room that overlooked the strip. "Actually yes, they were all see with a woman that looked to be the same one."

Dean turned from where he was investigating the room service menu. "Oh yeah? What'd she look like?"

"The few people I talked to didn't give me much to go on. They said she was fairly tall and had long blonde curly hair that went down past her shoulders. Typically she wears leather pants or really tight jeans and some tube top or something else similar. She is a regular too although she doesn't come every night. She seems to scout out the club members and doesn't go with anyone she doesn't find attractive since a lot of people go up to her and she turns most of them down. The guy I was talking to hit on her once and she turned him down out right. Apparently her voice is beautiful and hypnotic and husky and she has very dark brown eyes."

Dean nodded. "Sounds smokin'!"

At just that time Sage walked back into the room wearing a white plush bathrobe from the hotel and plopped down on the bed, pulling her legs underneath her. "So we need to be looking for her tomorrow night then?"

"Yeah we do. We also need to figure what she is." Sam said moving to take their father's journal out of Dean's bag.

"A slut." Sage stated simply with a smile on her face.

"Huh?" Sam laughed.

"She's a slut, that's pretty simple." Sage shrugged. "She is definitely some sort of monster but she is also a slutty monster."

Dean laughed and pulled Bobby's flask out of his bag and took a swig of whatever was inside. "Okay, so what you should be looking for are creatures that are sexual, attractive, make their victims extremely happy before they kill them in a way that is untraceable."

Sage nodded, thinking to herself and subconsciously biting her full lower lip. "Succubus."

Dean looked over at her from looking over his younger brother's shoulder at their father's journal. "You think she's a succubus?"

"I think it's possible. It definitely fits. She's beautiful, flirty, a total killer and no one knows how the victims except they all had sex first. Succubus makes sense."

"So does a siren." Sam replied, trying to follow his father's writing with his finger as it trailed across one page and onto another.

"Yeah it does," Sage retorted, "But not quite."

Dean took another sip from the flask. "She's right Sammy. It can't be a siren, there is no water nearby and the victims weren't drowned."

Sam nodded respectively. "You're right. It's been a long night, my mind isn't processing everything right now." He laughed. "I think it's time for bed right about now." Sam crawled into one of the beds and quickly fell asleep.

"Hopefully we can finish this case soon." Sage said, running her fingers through her hair and looking at Dean as he moved to sit next to her.

"Why's that? Vegas could be fun." He winked at her and laughed.

"We've got another case lined up." At Dean's quizzical look Sage continued. "Dick Roman's party."

"Shit." Dean's smiled vanished.

"Yeah, we need to be done with Vegas by then." Sage replied, tentatively chewing on her lower lip. "How sure are you that Dick Roman knows nothing about me?"

"If he knew you were with us or knew about you at all, you would have known already. Have you done any Leviathan cases?"

"No."

"Then odds are he knows nothing about you because we haven't been around any either since you joined us."

Sage nodded and laid back on the bed with a sigh.

"We're not gonna be able to keep an eye on you you know." Dean said laying down beside her and looking up at the ceiling.

"I didn't figure you'd be able to. I figured I'd be on my own once I entered the mansion."

"You pretty much will be. I know we have a guy who can get us some surveillance equipment but we'll be able to hear what you hear and you can hear us but that's all, no sight." Dean turned his head to Sam who was asleep in the other bed. "We can call him tomorrow."

Sage nodded. "That works, it's better than nothing." She smiled. "Tonight was fun."

Dean gave her a cocky smile and propped himself up on his elbow. "Who says it's over?"

Sage laughed and playfully shoved him. "We're not gonna do anything here, we've been together a couple of hours. Besides Sam is in the room with us!" She stood up and went over to her bag to pull out her black cotton short shorts and her black tank top. She slipped out of the plush bathrobe and quickly pulled her make shift pajamas on while ignoring Dean's eyes on her. She pulled the bathrobe back on before going to sit on the bed again.

"Why not now? If Sam wasn't here I mean." Dean asked her while she switched on the bedside lamp and turned off the lights in the room.

"I want us to be real Dean, real feelings, not just lust, not some long one night stand like you're used to."

"How do you know that's what I'm used to?" Dean asked, half playful half serious.

"I haven't been around long but I know that. I've had my fair share of one night stands. I've messed around a lot."

"I didn't peg you for the type, not seriously anyway. How many people did you mess around with?"

"Do you really wanna get into this Dean?" Sage asked with a small sigh. "We just got together."

"Might as well get all the dirty laundry out of the way now."

"In that case too many to count. I lied when I said I never messed around as a teenager. I messed around a lot. A new guy at every party almost, I slept with them all. I always used protection with the guys. I also had many one night stands while I was on the road alone, before Tristan mostly and only a couple after him but I have always been loyal in my relationships. When the mood struck I always found someone but that's not the person I wanna be. That's not who I am on the inside. I want something real, I wanna be done with that lifestyle. I wanna have something with you Dean." Sage smiled softly after rambling off the truth of her sexual escapades quickly, like tearing off a bandaid.

Dean looked shocked briefly, but not angry or disgusted. "Really? Sounds a lot like I've been. You really did that?"

She laughed. "Yeah I did. My past isn't really something I'm proud of. My shining moment was when I decided to follow in my parents' footsteps and become a hunter."

"The life of a hunter isn't easy, not even as children when our parents were hunters." Dean sighed and turned to look at her even though her eyes were trained on the ceiling.

Sage snapped her head around to look at him, her bright green eyes catching his hazel ones. "You've had Sam to talk to, to keep you company, to understand what it's like to be a hunter and have no one. I had no one once my parents died, no one who would understand. Even once I found Tristan it didn't matter because he didn't understand, I couldn't tell him anything about my real life. We were a sham because the real part of me was something that he never knew." Sage's voice was somewhat bitter but with a hint of melancholy underneath. She continued to hold his gaze, her eyes were hard.

"I didn't always have Sam. He was at Stanford for a long time before we started hunting together again." Dean sad nothing for a while after that, he didn't know where to begin on everything that Sage had said to him. He wasn't really much of an emotional person and Sage told him a lot. "I never knew you had all that bottled up."

"No one does. I keep everything bottled up and I've a pretty hard shell, a wall to break down. Something that comes from being a hunter and losing people. I use as a reason not to get close to people, if they can't break down my wall then they don't deserve to know the real me and it's actually better for them that way. If we never get close then it's not hard to leave."

"That's why except for Lisa and Ben I learned early on not to get involved with people like that, one night stands were the extent of my relationships. I was with Lisa and Ben only because Sam told me to lead a normal life if he didn't come back soon, so I tried and when Sam returned, it was over. We can't be with people who don't understand our lifestyle, who aren't hunters." Dean said, knowing how she felt because he felt it too. It was like Sage and Dean were cut from the same cloth they fit so well together.

"Hunters are loners." Sage said softly. "They're not meant to be with someone else, someone who doesn't understand the life."

Dean nodded. "Have you ever thought about getting out of the life?"

Sage looked at him. "No, hunting is my life and it's all I've ever known. I don't plan on getting out."

Dean said nothing for a moment thinking about something that Frank had told him, he never knew anyone who had gotten out of the life, they've all died before they had a chance. Sam and Dean had been lucky, they knew that. They'd had their fair share of close encounters but they were still alive. Dean knew he didn't know much about Sage's hunts or how many close encounters that she might have had. He knew she was good, she had saved his ass before, Sam's too and she hunted alone. The thought of hunters dying before they quit the life kept nagging at him. "You'd rather die on a hunt than get out?"

"Yeah I would actually. I couldn't imagine getting out of the life, I wouldn't know what to do with my life. I love hunting and I'm good at it Dean. People need us even though they don't know it. Did you ever plan on getting out?"

"I did briefly. When I was with Lisa but I didn't like it. I didn't know what to do with myself. You're right, I don't plan on leaving the life either. I can't stay away and it seems that you can't either." Dean told her picking up one of her loose purple curls.

"A lot of people die in the life." Sage said, voicing the same thoughts that were running through Dean's mind.

"I know. I've known some of those people. You have too."

Sage nodded. "Loved ones die because of us."

Dean said nothing for a moment. "We've all dealt with that before. I think that's why we all try not to get close to civilians, it will eventually lead to their death."

"We're lucky Dean." Sage said abruptly.

Dean just looked at her, puzzled. "And why's that?"

"Not to sound sappy but we found each other. We're lucky. We're both hunters, it's all out in the open, there's no secret lifestyle with us. Not only that but we have each other, and we also have Sam. The three of us are together, none of us have to be alone. We're hunters that aren't real loners. I've been on my own before, until I met you guys I was on my own. I've been on my own hunting since I was a teenager. It sucks always being alone."

"I know how it is. I was alone while Sam was at Stanford."

"I've never been this open with someone before you." Sage told him while he twirled her hair around his finger.

"Yeah I know what you mean. You're different."

"I'll take that as a good thing then." Sage laughed her musical laugh and couldn't help but smile.

"Are you sleeping with your brother again?" Sage teased him.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to." Dean winked at her.

"You don't have to if you don't want to you. You can sleep here with me." Sage flirted right back at him.

"I'll take the offer." Dean said bounding off the bed and going to change for bed.

Sage laughed and slipped out of the bathrobe before crawling under the covers which were much nicer than she expected. They were plush and the mattress and pillows were like heaven. Dean jumped on the bed beside her and took the other side. He was wearing gray sweats and a plain white t-shirt. He reached over and turned the light off on the bedside table plunging the room into darkness.

"Goodnight Sage." Dean whispered.

"Goodnight Dean." Sage smiled and slid down in the bed. They were both out almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows.


	13. First Date?

It was early afternoon before Sage slowly opened her bright green eyes and stretched. Her slender hand landed on Dean's arm who was still asleep beside her. She smiled and slipped out of bed careful not to disturb her sleeping partner. Her footsteps were completely silent as she padded across the plush carpeting over to the small kitchen where she poured herself a cup of coffee that she assumed Sam had brewed and then polluted his own cup with sugar and creamer. Sage shuddered and took her cup to the bathroom where she turned on the shower and closed the door to the bathroom before stripping down and checking the water using her foot. She wasn't satisfied until the water was piping hot, hot enough to leave her skin slightly red as she stepped out of the shower after about half an hour.

A nice hot shower was one of Sage's favorite simple pleasures. There were times where she would be on the road and go for days at a time without a shower and even if she did get to shower, it was usually fast and almost always cold. Any chance she got to take a nice hot shower she took it happily and made it a really long shower as well. The mirror was fogged up when Sage shut off the water and wrapped her long dark hair in a towel before wringing it out. From the other room Sage could hear the loud sounds of classic rock, a tell tale sign that Dean was now awake and moving around. She took her time drying off and brushing out her flowing hair, loving how plush the hotel towels felt against her skin.

She opened the bathroom door releasing all the trapped heat into the rest of their suite, the air was about 10 degrees hotter in the bathroom. Dean turned from where he was seated lightly bobbing his head to ACDC and thumbing through his dad's old black journal when he heard her open the door. A cocky smile spread across his face upon seeing her in just the hotel towel.

"Aren't you a sight?" He said closing the journal and placing it one of the bedside tables.

Sage rolled her bright eyes and moved to her bag searching for something to wear until they hit the club again that night. "If you say so. Hunting gives you muscle and a nice toned body from all the military training. At least that's what happened with me. What my parents didn't train me on, I trained myself on. The gave me the basics, I took it further. I've been through all the military exercises, the ones that you would learn in basic training. I trained myself on various weapons including handguns, machine guns, grenades, various knives, bow and arrow, as well as training my entire body to be a dangerous weapons and my senses to be extraordinary. So yeah I guess I'm a sight." Sage winked at him and dug through her duffel bag.

Dean's eyes grew wide. "I knew you were good, you were skilled but I didn't know you knew all of that or that you taught most of it to yourself."

"There are a lot of things about me that you still haven't discovered yet, my entire background being just one of them." She said pulling on a pair of acid wash jeans and snatching Dean's t-shirt from the night before off the ground. She tied it in the back with a rubber band so it wasn't so big on her.

"My life is no open book either." Dean replied.

"I didn't figure it was. We are two people who could be the same person."

Dean didn't say much as he watched Sage messingly twist her hair into a low braid that hung over her left shoulder in the front. It was a look that was something he had never seen her do before and he was trying to decide whether he liked it or not. "It's true. We are scarily similar in how we act and our personalities too. I've noticed that since I met you and I'm sure you did too."

Sage walked over to him and trailed her fingers over his chest before picking up John Winchester's journal. "So where are we going with the case today besides the club?"

Dean smiled and reached for her arm as she went to sat down but he only managed to graze her wrist. "I'm not sure. I don't know where Sam went but I'm assuming that it was case related. At least he made some coffee and left it."

Sage nodded discarding the journal as Dean had since they didn't yet know what they were up against, flipping through the journal for more information was pretty useless. "Are we gonna spend this case as simple club patrons?"

Dean shrugged. "Depends on where the case goes I guess. The information you need. Haven't you ran cases like that before?"

"Yeah I have, more than one." Sage laid back on the bed and glanced at the clock. "I can't believe we slept so late."

"We didn't get in until pretty late or really early depending on how you look at it." Dean smirked, moving to take a seat beside her on the bed and laying down.

"Enjoying a club and spending the entire night there is definitely something new for a hunter." Sage laughed and combed her fingers through her long hair. "I used to spend a vast majority of my nights either out in the field or passed out in some shitty roach motel."

Dean sympathized. He and Sam had spent their fair share of long nights doing much of the same thing.

"How did you make your money when you were on your own?" Dean asked, suddenly curious when it came to things about her that he didn't know about that.

Sage smirked. "Much the same way you did. I got very good at credit card fraud, forging them, stealing them. I know how to pickpocket, that was a little skill I picked up from one of my bad boy boyfriends in high school. I gamble quite well, well more like I cheat. I learned how to count cards when I was a child. I'm best at blackjack and I'm always careful never to get caught. When my parents died I got whatever they had left, furniture, guns, money, the house, cars, everything. I pawned off what I didn't need and put the money in a real account in my name. I still use that bank card sometimes. There's money left in it still and using it is no danger to me because unlike you and your brother I'm not wanted by the police or the FBI. I've done odd jobs before and I've been through bartending school before so I've picked up shifts at bars before."

Dean rolled his eyes at the mention of the Winchester's being on the cops' radar big time. "You're a bad girl."

Sage shrugged. "You could say that but I'm still safe from the feds that I pretend to be. I've told you what I did in the past, how I was and how I've changed."

Dean nodded. "That's true you have and you know some of mine. I have to say though I am really impressed that you went through military training and it was your choice when you were teaching yourself how to hunt well."

"I didn't give myself the option of not learning the military training. It's done me a lot of good and I'm glad I taught myself. It helped with my discipline and my hunting skills. I learned a lot from the military training." Sage stood up off the bed and padded over to the counter where the coffee pot remained. She poured another cup of coffee for herself and one for Dean and was pleased to find that it was still hot.

Sage passed one of the identical mugs to Dean and walked over to the large window in the hotel room and threw back the heavy curtains and the blinds. She heard Dean grunt behind her as she took a sip of her second cup of coffee and looking out the window overlooking the Vegas strip. "I bet this view is beautiful at night."

Dean smirked. "How many times do you get a chance to think about the beauty in things Sage?"

She turned slightly and fixed her intense green eyes on him. "Not that often. The life of a hunter is dangerous and fast paced, something I love. That's why I admire the beauty of things when I can." She turned back to the window and ran her fingers through her hair wishing that the window would open.

"As do i."

"Beautiful things and sleeping with beautiful women are not the same thing." Sage took another sip of her coffee and didn't turn to Dean as she said those words without feeling.

Dean stood behind up behind her and sat down on the windowsill. "You've had your fair share of sexual partners too, sexy men I'm sure. When was the last time you got laid?"

Sage's full pouty lips took on a mischievous grin. "I can't believe you don't remember. It was the night I slept with your brother of course." She winked at him and then laughed.

Dean's hazel eyes flared briefly. By no means did Dean love Sage but it still didn't thrill him that she had slept with his younger brother even though it was when he still disliked her for taking Bobby's place.

"What about you Dean? When was the last time you got laid?" Sage's question was casual, she asked because Dean asked her first.

"A couple days before you saved our asses from that werewolf, it was some local girl I picked up in a bar our first night in town."

"Typical Dean Winchester." Sage laughed and nursed her coffee while sitting down in the windowsill across from him. She pulled her legs to her chest and used her knees as a precarious table for her mug.

"It used to be." Dean told her just as they heard a noise at the door.

Both hunters heads snapped towards the noise as they quickly but carefully stood up and grabbed a weapon off the table. Sage took her large knife her hand as she silently crept to the door while Dean clicked the safety off on his 9 millimeter and got her back from the bathroom. If there was a peephole Sage would have looked through it but there wasn't so instead she was forced to simply open the door. She held the knife in her right hand behind her back when she opened the door with her left.

"Woah!" Sam threw his hands up and backed up when he caught sight of Dean with a gun and noticed Sage's hand behind her back.

"Sorry Sammy, you can't be too careful." Dean said as Sage stepped aside and let him through the door, her knife now hanging by her thigh as Dean reengaged the safety on his gun.

"Where'd you go Sam?" Sage asked, resheathing her knife and laying it down on the table with everything else they had as a weapon.

"I went to work on our case actually while you two just slept the day away." Sam said laughing. "Did you realize that Dean kicks in his sleep yet?"

Sage's eyes caught Dean's. "He's not that bad, at least he doesn't snore."

"See? I'm not that bad." Dean punched Sam in the arm. "What did you find out about our case?"

"I went back to the club to talk to the owner and any of the bartenders or bouncers who were working the night those people had died. I told them I was FBI and we had similar cases of the same thing in New York, Miami, and Las Angeles. I figured that would make it seem more like a case the feds would handle."

"So our undercover work last night wasn't enough for you?" Sage laughed.

"It was good but we also needed more information, information that we could get from employees who have issues talking to us on a busy night. However the patrons are more willing to talk to other people than they are to the police or the feds."

Sage nodded which meant that the three of them would spend a vast majority of the late night at the club again. "We'll make sure that we get around to more people tonight."

"Do you have another outfit to wear?" Sam asked, knowing that whatever Dean and himself wear wouldn't really make a difference, just find another shirt, but club clothes were a bigger deal for women.

"Yeah, I've got some other things I can wear. I'm always prepared for anything which is why my bag is so big and it's only for clothes." Sage said with a light laugh. She quickly finished the rest of her coffee and replaced the mug on the counter, unwashed.

"What time are we headed out tonight?" Dean asked to no in particular as he pulled on dark jeans and a gray t-shirt.

Sam looked over to Sage who quickly responded that they would head over to the club at midnight. He figured Sage would be the best judge as to when they should go to the club since it was more her scene than either his or his brother's even though it hadn't been Sage's life for many years. Sam loosened his plain black tie and pulled off his suit jacket.

"Wanna hit the casinos before we head over to the nightclub?" Dean asked with a sparkle in his eyes.

A mischievous smile crept over Sage's strong beautiful features. "Sounds like a lot of fun to me. Is it to make some money, have some fun, or drink some?"

"All of the above." Dean winked at her as he grabbed his beat up leather jacket off the back of one of the arm chairs in the room and shrugged it on.

"It's Vegas, we need to be careful not to get caught, think you can handle that?" Sage laughed mischievously as she pulled some black garment out of her duffel bag and headed off to the bathroom to change and apply her heavy makeup for the night.

"I've been doing it for years." Dean called after her.

Sam shook his head but there was a smile on his face.

"You joining us Sammy?" Dean asked his younger brother while running his fingers through his short hair trying to calm it down.

"Casinos aren't really my thing. I'll just do some more research for now and meet you at the club at midnight."

Dean shrugged. "Suit yourself. I really should teach you the finer points of gambling."

Sam booted up his laptop and tapped his long fingers on the lid while he waited for it to load. "I'm okay." He laughed. "You and Sage can handle the gambling."

Dean was about to say something when he caught sight of Sage who had just walked out of the bathroom. This was only the second time Dean had seen her in anything besides her typical jeans and a tank top or t-shirt or the clothes she used as pajamas. It was still shocking. This time, as opposed to the miniskirt and halter top from the night before, she was wearing a dress. It was a simple all black dress that clung tightly to her curves and only reached to her mid-thigh. Her shoulders were completely bare seeing as how the dress was strapless with a slight sweetheart neckline. She had a black silk ribbon tied around her neck as a chocker. Her long dark hair was all pulled over on her right shoulder and her beautiful green eyes popped beneath long plush eyelashes coated in black mascara along with the dark purple eye shadow she wore as well that had a hint of a sparkle to it. Although she wasn't really one for makeup she also applied a deep crimson red lipstick and glossed over it with clear gloss. Her feet were adorned with black satin heels with a peep toe that came up to her ankle. They also had fake laces on the front. Sage didn't look like a hunter, she looked like a million bucks.

"I was going for a more fierce look, something more put together for the high in casinos. What do you think?" She spun slowly with a smile on her face. "Sometimes I like getting pretty."

Sam and Dean both stared at her. They'd have to get used to seeing this other side of Sage. She was a dangerous beauty, that was for sure. "Sexy." Dean voiced what they both were thinking.

"So I was thinking The Bellagio seemed like a good one to go to." Sage said fluffing up her hair and feeling how strange it was to be fluffy with the moose in it.

Dean said nothing; he just continued staring at her.

"What?" Sage asked him with a slightly puzzled look on her face, her deep red lips set in a soft line and her green eyes sparkled.

"Damn, you're hot." Dean whistled looking her up and down. His hazel eyes were hungry but he stayed where he was and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Sage laughed her sweet musical sound as she carefully tucked away a knife in a sheath she wore on her back. Sage hated being without weapons so she always tried to have one on her person wherever she went if she could help it. "Thanks." She replied, making sure her knife was invisible when she moved, which it was.

Sam watched her movements and her interactions with his brother from where he sat on the edge of one of the large beds with his laptop already deep in research of whatever it is they could be hunting. "How many different sorts of outfits like that do you have?" He asked simply looking from her tight black dress to the large duffel bag she carried everything in.

"I've almost gone through all my more formal or club type clothes. I have some but I try not to carry many at a time because they take up too much space and I don't ever really need them. I've got a lot of different options back in my storage unit in my hometown along with other various things and my baby."

"Your baby?" Sam asked quizzically while Dean gathered up his wallet and put a gun in his jeans underneath his shirt and jacket.

"My motorcycle. My car should be back there now too actually since I called an old family connection to go and pick it up for me." Sage was already headed towards the door of the room when she made this comment. She quickly breezed back into the bathroom, her stilettos clicking rather loudly on the tile floor until she stopped to shove her makeup and other various necessities into a small black clutch. She detested purses but when she was going for the air of polished rich kid she was usually forced to bring one along.

"Meet you at midnight Sammy." She heard Dean call from where he stood with the door open. She strolled back out to meet him and waved goodbye to Sam as Dean closed the door behind them.

"You make me seem far less put together standing next to you." Dean told her as they walked side by side to the elevator.

"I just like an excuse to dress up sometimes. Besides, it is far better to go to a high end casino dressed like this than it would be if I wore jeans and a tank top like usual." She replied holding his gaze with her own. Dean's usual rugged sexiness was slightly tamed down for the night but he was definitely still very sexy. Sage had come to the realization that she could listen to him talk for a long time because she loved the sound of his voice, deep and gritty, which was a very sexy thing for her.

Dean couldn't argue with her logic. He hated suits but at the same time he felt he should return and put his on so he could match her looks. In the end he decided against it and they boarded the elevator for the lobby. "To The Bellagio?"

"Of course." She smiled at him while thinking about their night to come. Sage had had her fair share of parties when she was younger, but going out and doing things with Sam and Dean was different than those old high school parties. Stepping out onto the street Sage stuck out her arm to hail a taxi. They only waited a brief moment before one skidded up beside them along the curb.

"You're good at that."

"I've had my fair share of time in New York, I learned how to properly hail a taxi." She laughed and slid into the back seat all the way across to the middle to give Dean room to slip in beside.

"Where to?" The cab driver's voice was very gruff and his large face was covered in stubble as he looked back at them in the rearview mirror.

"The Bellagio." Dean responded slamming the door behind him. The cabbie said nothing as he took off in the direction of one of Vegas' grandest hotels and casinos.

"It's different don't you think?" Sage mused as she gazed out the window at the buildings on the strip and the people milling about on the streets.

"Hmm? What?" Dean didn't say much as he glanced her way before returning to stare out his own window.

"Working a case this way, having fun while on the job and just living in a different way for a while." Sage turned to look at him and he caught her eyes in his own.

"Yeah it's different alright, but we chose this life." His tone was matter-of-fact, not cold but not necessarily warm either. There was still a lot about him that Sage had yet to undercover.

"I know. I don't wanna change it. Being a hunter is all I know and all I'm good at, for the most part." Sage took a breath and winked at him before continuing. "I was just saying it was different doing this. I don't plan on getting out of the life, I actually like it most of the time. I'll die doing this job Dean, same as you and Sam."

"Sam had gotten out until I dragged him back in again. He had a bright law career in his future at Stanford and then I showed up and strong armed into joining me again."

"It's not your fault Dean. Hunting is in his blood same as you and me, if he didn't really want back in the life he wouldn't have left with you."

Dean just shrugged. He still felt guilty for dragging Sam away from Stanford and getting his girlfriend killed by a demon. He was thoroughly shocked when Sage leaned across the seat closing the space between them and kissed him, no holding back. It took him a moment to recover from the shock before he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her back. He briefly thought it was strange that while they were together now, it was still shocking when she kissed him or touched him much at all, something he attributed to their lifestyle.

"Don't worry about the past. You can't change it and it doesn't do any good to dwell there and forget to live in the present." Sage whispered after slightly pulling away from him.

"Wise words Sage."

She smiled softly. "Every so often something like that slips out."

"I'm okay with living in the present, in the moment." With that said, he pulled her back to him and kissed her again, much as she did only a moment ago.

"Here." The cabbie called gruffly from the front seat as he pulled up the grand hotel with the famous fountain. Dean carefully extracted his fingers from Sage's long hair and opened the door before climbing out and offering the female hunter his hand. She placed her own slender hand in his own and he helped pull her to the sidewalk and out of the cab. It was Sage who reached into her small clutch and handed the cab fare to the driver, telling him to keep the change.

Sage took a quick glance in the sideview mirror on the cab before it pulled away and quickly smoothed out what she could of her hair once she was happy to discover her dark lipstick unaltered. The lipstick didn't lie when it said it would last all day through anything. She turned back to her companion and twined her arm through his. "Let's make some money." Her beautiful mischievous grin said it all.

Dean laughed. "The city is ours for the taking if we're careful."

"Always am." She winked at him and the pair ascended the few steps and entered the plush lobby of one of the best hotels and hottest casinos in Las Vegas.


	14. Death to the Blonde

"Where have you two been?!" Sam practically hissed at Sage and Dean when they sidled up to him at the bar in the night club.

"Making us some money Sammy." Dean replied before ordering a beer from the hurried bartender across from them.

"And?" Sam was clearly not thrilled with the idea that he had spent a couple hours scoping out the club himself.

"And we made a killing between Dean's poker skills and my card counting at blackjack." Sage winked, her bright green eyes shining. "We'll be good for a while."

Sam nodded.

"You learned anything new since we've been out?" Dean asked taking a long swig of his beer after the bartender slid it to him.

"Not anything much different than we learned last night. She's here tonight though." Sam jerked his head in the direction of a tall blonde wearing typical club cloths and nursing a martini.

"Has she taken an interest in anyone yet?" Sage asked, her bright eyes watching the blonde across the club.

"Hasn't appeared to. A couple men have approached her but they walked away empty handed. She flat out turned them down." Sam remarked loudly over the sound of the pulsing music.

Sage nodded, still watching the woman like a predator would watch its prey.

"How do we know that it's actually her?" Dean asked taking another swig of beer.

"We don't yet. That's why we're gonna keep a close watch on her tonight and follow her if we have to. Are you guys actually gonna be helpful tonight?" That last comment was harder and a bit sarcastic.

Sage leaned in and whispered in Sam's ear. "Just remember I'm always armed Sam." She pulled away with a wink and laughed softly. "We're hunters, of course we're gonna be helpful. We have been at this for years already."

With that said, the tall brunette grabbed Dean's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor with her. Her piercing green eyes were playful and her smile was flirty. The pair quickly fell into a rhyme of swaying and moving their bodies together. Dean was happier with her than Sam had ever seen him before. In fact, if Dean was ever that happy before he'd never seen it. Dean had been hard and serious since their mother's death and their father started to train them. Sam allowed himself a quiet moment of envy before letting it slip away. He wasn't even envious that Sage and choosen his older brother, he was envious that they each had someone and he had no one. But he knew he couldn't bring someone into his lifestyle, someone who didn't understand and couldn't handle themselves; it would be too dangerous. He thought back to Jennifer, the girlfriend who had been killed just like his mother and it was all because of him. Sage could handle herself, quite well in fact. Dean might worry about her at times but she could handle herself just as well as either of them could and Sam knew that Dean would be alone too if Sage wasn't a hunter and she hadn't saved them both and then chose to stay with them. It was a good thing for Dean to have Sage; she was changing him for the better in a way. Sam quit that line of thinking and went back to observing the blonde woman who they suspected of being a succubus. As if sensing his gaze, she looked up from her glass and caught his eye. She waved at him and winked and then, abandoning her glass, started to walk his way.

"Hmm." Sage murmured, her gaze traveled from the blonde to Sam still sitting at the bar. "Sam has company."

Dean's head snapped up from where he was resting it on top of Sage's own. He turned around and followed the direction of Sage's bright eyes to where Sam was seated at the bar except the blonde woman they had been observing had joined him and she was flirting quite hard. Dean's body tensed upon seeing the woman that close to his little brother without him there to help. He went to reach into the waist band of his jeans at the small of his back and pull out his signature handgun. Sage's own hand quickly gripped his before he could grab ahold of it.

"We can't make a scene in here. Besides, she won't do anything. There are too many people and it isn't her MO. She'll take him somewhere and have sex with him and then kill him. Like the others." Sage's voice was low and matter-of-fact as she kept a trained hunter's eye on Sam and the woman while still getting Dean to continue dancing with her and not pull the gun out with so many witnesses. "But that won't happen. Sam has us as back up and we all know what we're up against. He'll be fine. If they leave together we'll tail them and make sure Sam is safe."

Dean gritted his teeth but nodded. Dropping his hand and returning it to her body. "Are you armed?"

Sage flashed him a dangerous smile. "Aren't I always?" She winked. "Inner thigh and lower back." Dean ran a slow hand along the small of her back and her inner thigh. Two deadly knives, the concealed weapons she always had but especially when she couldn't pack her usual handgun and the machine gun.

"Careful with that hand there." Sage whispered, her voice low and playful, holding a hint of danger. "You don't know everything I'm capable of."

"Maybe I want to find out." Dean returned slowly running his hand from her thigh back to her waist.

Sage smiled at him and tried to read the lips of the blonde woman with Sam. Her waves of long blonde curly hair and the sideways way she was standing was making it hard to do. She only caught every few words and they weren't really helpful.

"What's going on?" Dean asked in her ear, back to full on work mode.

"Can't tell. She's making it difficult to read her lips."

"So let's go closer. We'll go order something from the bar, sit there and drink it. Sam knows to play it cool and pretend we're just a random couple at the bar. That woman will leave her attention with Sam and she'll ignore us, won't think of us and we'll have a front row seat to hear everything." Sage nodded and moved towards the bar after Dean.

"A glass of your finest red wine and an ice cold beer." Sage said loudly so the bartender could hear her over the noise. Dean occupied a bar stool beside her and pretended to be interested in watching her while really he was observing what was going on between his brother and the blonde woman who was most likely a succubus.

Sage passed the bottle of beer to Dean who took it from her and took one long, thirsty swig of it. Sage took her own wineglass and swirled its contents so it looked like a small cyclone of blood. She took a slow sip, savoring the flavor. She relaxed against Dean since he had the only empty nearby stool. She leaned against his chest, standing between his legs and she rested her glass on the bar. Dean playfully bit her neck while the pair seemed to be only into each other, they were really quite interested in the couple a few down from them.

The blonde woman had her dainty hand on Sam's lower thigh. Her hands were small like Sage's but Sage's were soft and yet still tough from all her work. The succubus might be just as dangerous as Sage except for she was an evil creature. She was laughing at something that Sam must have said to her. She had to hand it to him, he was being a good actor.

"So, do you think you'll wanna get out of her sometime soon, go somewhere more private?" She winked at the last statement.

Sage was now fully in tune to their conversation, everything else in the club simply dropped away. She couldn't hear the music and she couldn't feel Dean's soft lips on her neck anymore either even though she knew they were still there. She took a sip of her wine to keep up with the façade of the happy couple out on the town for the night. She wanted to know Sam's response and she knew Dean did too. Sam was his brother after all. Sure enough, Dean's playful teasing ceased upon those words. He kept his lips on her neck but he was fully in tune listening to Sam's response.

"And go where?" Sam asked, trying not to commit strongly either way because he knew going with her would give them a perfect chance to kill her but also knew that if Sage and Dean weren't fast enough it would be real trouble for him.

"My hotel room of course." She giggled, bubbly. "I have plans in mind for you." Her voice was mischievous and her eyes were dark and playful.

"Oh I bet you do." Sage muttered under her breath.

Dean smirked but it was a short lived gesture. It faded at his little brother's answer.

"Sure, hotel room sounds great." Sam responsed.

"Excellent." The woman grabbed Sam's hand and pulled him up from his bar stool and lead him out the back exit and out onto the street.

"Let's go." Dean said, pulling a few ones from his pocket to cover the cost of their drinks.

Sage nodded and grabbed his hand as they slipped through the crowd of heavy partyers and followed Sam and the creature out onto the streets of Vegas.

Sage was thankful for the crowd because it allowed them to follow without having to worry too much about being noticed. It seemed to make Dean somewhat anxious to be able to lose his brother so easily in the crowd somewhere between them following him into the crowd and them reaching the hotel. "Where are they?" He asked her since Sage was now leading them.

"Up ahead, just turned right at the corner." She didn't dare turn around to answer Dean's question just in case she lost sight of Sam in the process.

"How do you plan on killing this thing?"

"Fill it with rock salt rounds, lop off the head, burn the body. Pretty clean, sure." Sage turned the corner after them and once again found Sam in the crowd. She was just thankful he was so tall and stuck out.

"That would be easier if our entire arousal wasn't in the back of the Impala." Dean stated, mildly irritated.

"Shit." Sage bit her lip. "Fuck! You're gonna have to go get it. I've got eyes on Sam just be fast. I'm packing enough to protect myself and hold her back if things get heavy but you need to be fast. I'll call you once they've reached a hotel. Run!" Sage's voice took on a more paniced quality. Dean dropped her hand and vanished, running in the direction of the Luxor, thankful for how close everything in Vegas was.

Sage maintained her hidden escort; prepared to pull out her large knife should she need it. She had been tailing them for a full ten minutes before they finally reached their destination. The hotel was small compared to the big and expensive hotel/casinos nearby on the strip. It was simple, not a gross motel but nothing amazing either. The pair went in and the woman picked up a key from the front desk. Sage watched them get into the elevator and push the up button. Once they entered she watched until the number stopped on three, the highest floor. She pulled a cigarette from her bra, not a smoker but at least if she looked like it she had a reason to be outside and not attract suspicion. After putting the unlit cigarette in her mouth, she put in a quick call to Dean who was already on his way back, this time by taxi. "It's just some little place at one end of the strip, called Vegas Inn and Suites. They just went up to the second floor. From what we know, she doesn't kill her victims until after she sleeps with them so Sam still has some time. I don't wanna go in until you get here in case I need the backup."

Dean gauged the distance before saying, "5 minutes max." Then he hung up after telling the taxi driver to step on it and get him there as fast as possible.

It was only 3 minutes later when a taxi squealed to a stop in front of the motel and Dean leaped out tossing some money to the driver before slamming the door and going up to Sage who still lounged outside against the building. On his approach she tossed her unused cigarette to the ground. "How do you wanna do this? I don't know what room they're in, what key she has."

"Let's ask the man at the front desk."

Sage nodded her approval before pulling open the door. She slipped her arm through Dean's and sauntered up the front desk. She was still glad that she was made up from the club because it would be a lot easier to get the man to do what they wanted dressed the way she was now. Sage wasn't vain and she didn't like being especially manipulative and using her body but every once in a while the little suggestion could go a long way in getting her some info she wanted.

"We're looking for a couple that just came in; man was tall, long brown hair; woman was skinny with blonde curly hair." Dean asked, taking the lead.

"I'm not supposed to give out guest information." The man was most likely in his early twenties and not very experienced with jobs. He already seemed nervous.

Sage smiled to herself, _This is going to be a piece of cake. _

"We're friends of theirs. We're actually supposed to meet them for a little rendezvous. It just appeared they started without us and are too busy to answer our calls. It would be really helpful if you just told us their room and we'll leave you be. We just wanna have a fun night." Her smile was bright and full of fake innocent fun with a hint of mischievousness.

The man was clearly torn on whether to give the information to the lovely woman or well to be safe and keep his job.

"Please." Sage batted her long eyelashes at him and gave him her best smile.

"Alright but don't tell anyone I did this. They're in room 210." He was weary to do it but he didn't want to disappoint Sage and Dean scared him a little bit, even when he was all dressed up.

"Thanks." Sage smiled and strolled off towards the stairs while her arm still threaded through Dean's.

Once they were out of ear shot of the clerk Sage felt it was okay to start talking again. "Kick the door in?"

Dean nodded. "Best way. Not like it'll be hard in this hotel. And it doesn't seem crowded either so it should be okay."

They took the stairs two at a time, neither wanting to give the creature too much time with Sam; he was their family after all and they'd already left him alone with her too long for both their tastes. Upon arriving at the door of room 210 they took up positions on both sides of the door. They gave each other nods before Dean stepped in front of the door. He tossed Sage her own shot gun, she would have preferred her machine gun but it would have been too hard for Dean to get for her. Dean held his own sawed off and gave the door one swift, hard kick and it splintered and swung in hard, banging against the wall on the other side. Sage and Dean busted into the room.

The succubus seemed surprise to see them but her expression quickly turned into something very evil. "Glad you could join us. I could always use the audience and the company. Add some spice." She quickly slammed the door shut behind them and locked it. "There, no disturbances. Now, which of you two is gonna be next?"

Sage and Dean shared a glance before looking carefully about the room while still watching the blonde. Sam lay out on the bed, his shirt stripped off and shredded on the floor. He wasn't tied down but instead appeared to be in some sort of trance. "Let's go with neither. And we're taking my brother too." Dean said, his jaw was firm and his voice was rough and hard.

The other woman laughed. "I'd like to see you try." She winked. "You know, I've never had brothers before."

"Looks like you won't ever." Dean drew his sawed off and aimed it straight on at her chest. Before he had a chance to disengage the safety and pull the trigger the woman had jumped him and knocked him to the ground flinging the gun from his hand and across the room. Sage looked to Sam, wondering if he would grab it but he made no effort to move and get it, no indication he even knew what was happening.

_One reason I generally hate being around women. _Sage shook her head and clicked the safety off of her gun. "Get off him bitch." The succubus turned around from where she was tearing off Dean's shirt. Once she was facing Sage, she took the shot. The rock salt round tore into her chest just below her right collarbone.

The blonde screamed and her wound smoked and sizzled but she wasn't dead. "Nice shot, but you're still no match for me."

Sage laughed and her bright green eyes sparkled. The woman was on her, knocking the shot gun from her hand and pushing her against the wall. Sage brought her knee up hard and hit the other woman in the stomach, she doubled over and fell to the floor where Sage gave her a hard round house kick to the skull.

"Enough games!" The blonde screamed. She pulled a revolver from her bag on the floor and aimed it at Sage. "I know you're not immortal so let's see how you feel with a little lead in your system." She fired the gun, grazing Sage's arm before embedding itself in the wall behind her.

"I think not." Sage high kicked her arm, sending the gun flying and skidding under the bed where Sam lay. "This ends now."

It was about then that Dean came up behind the blonde and grabbed a huge chuck of her curls in his fist and pressed a knife to her throat. "I'm more dangerous than I look." Sage pulled her own rather lethal knife from the sheath at her back and thrust it into the woman's heart as Dean pulled his own blade across her throat. She sputtered briefly before collapsing to the ground dead. It was about the time her head hit the floor that Sam awoke from his trance.

"Didn't expect that too happen. I figured the men were definitely willing for the sex part of the evening." He dusted himself off and found his jacket on the back of a chair. "Let's get her out of here before the clerk comes looking for her." Sam went to the body and threw it over his shoulder.

Sage was standing in the hallway and Dean had walked further down to the door leading to the back staircase. "Impressive kicks for those heels." He said marveling at Sage's rather tall shoes.

She laughed. "I'm dangerous, regardless of what I'm wearing." The three of them quickly and silently went down the stairs and out the way into an alley that ran along the back of the building.

Dean pulled a bag of salt from his coat pocket and salted the body for good measure before lighting a match and leaving it there to burn. "Time to skip town."

"I'll kinda miss Vegas, especially the hotel." Sage mused as they walked down the street with the rest of the night time crowd for the last time that trip.

"We've got other things to prepare for. You need to be ready for Dick Roman's party next weekend and we need to be ready for that too, for surveillance and assistance if we're needed." Sam responded. He noticed Dean's jaw clench and his fists ball up until his knuckles turned white. He hated the idea of sending Sage into a house full of immortal killers who would want nothing more than to rip her to shreds if they knew who she was. Sam hated the idea too but Sage wasn't his girl, she was Dean's.

"Bring it on." Sage said with a confident air in her voice. "I'm ready."


	15. Don't Touch Dean's Woman He Loves Her

It was about noon when Sage opened her bright green eyes to find Dean still fast asleep beside her in their bed back at the cabin. His chest moved up and down slowly and his breathing was the only sound in the room. His short hair was tousled with sleep and the covers around him were messed up and bunched up around his body. Sage watched him quietly, smiling when his muscles would twitch in his sleep. Her eyes fell on the protection sigil tattooed on the left side of Dean's bare chest, right over his heart. It reminded her that she needed to go seek out a tattoo shop and get her own. That's what she was gonna do today, before Dick Roman's party. She lightly pulled the blanket off of her body and slipped from the bed. She quietly left the room and shut the door and padded into the kitchen wearing one of Dean's t-shirt and her own panties underneath it.

"Morning." Sam said to her from the table where he had his laptop opened and was looking intently at whatever it was he had on the screen.

"Morning Sam." Sage replied running her fingers through her dark hair while she poured a cup of a coffee. "Hey, is there a good tattoo shop in town?"

Sam looked up at her. "Yeah. Why?"

"Protection sigil." Sage took a sip of her coffee and sat down at the table.

"Right. You should probably wait until after the party. Less to cover up."

"Oh yeah." She glanced down at her wrist and rubbed the mark on the inside of it absently. "After tonight then."

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be. I've just gotta shower, get dressed, do my hair and do my makeup, and put on the surveillance. What about you and Dean?"

"We've got a van from a local news station stashed away to sit in. It's one of their older ones that I found in a scrap yard. Where's Dean?"

"He's still sleeping. You like having your bed back?" Sage spun her coffee mug in her hands.

Sam smiled. "Yeah. It's more comfortable."

It was about that time that Dean staggered into the room, almost still half asleep. Sage had learned quickly not to talk to Dean too early in the morning, something Sam learned many years ago. He quickly poured himself a large mug of coffee and plopped down in one of the other chairs.

"What's my surveillance equipment?" Sage asked, propping her legs up on Dean's thigh underneath the table.

"Well it'll be more for us than for you. We'll be able to hear what you hear but you won't be able to hear us, but we'll know if there's any trouble." Sam told her, pulling something from his pocket and laying it on the table in front of him.

Sage looked at the small device and picked it up in between her slender fingers. She noticed the change in Dean's demeanor at the mention of trouble but she said nothing.

"How's it work?" She asked, turning it over in her fingers.

"Well, you'll put this in your ear and we'll be able to hear everything that you hear. And it's small so it shouldn't be noticeable but it might be better to have you ear covered with your hair on the one side." Sam explained as she passed it back to him and he put it back in the case in his pocket.

"We'll be parked down the street and around the corner, just looking like another news team there to cover the party." Dean spoke up, catching her eye with his own hazel ones.

Sage nodded. "I should shower and start getting ready." She finished her coffee and stood from the table, walking away from the kitchen into the bathroom where she closed the door behind her and turned the water on.

Sam looked at his brother as he watched his new girlfriend close the door. "It bothers you doesn't it?"

Dean turned around to look at his younger brother. "What do you think Sammy? Of course it bothers me! We're willingly sending her into a houseful of monsters and hunter or not that's dangerous. Sage has a lot of skill and she's scary good, I've never met anyone with as much talent at this job as her but she'll be unarmed Sam! And we won't really be close by if anything bad should happen! This is why hunters don't get involved with anyone, they always have to worry about them, protect them." Dean sighed on that last part before drinking some more of his coffee.

Sam said nothing for a minute, he sat there silently and processed everything. Dean wasn't one to share his feelings very much, even with Sam so it was a big deal that he had said something about this. "No Dean, that's why hunters don't get involved with civilians. You know as well as I know that Sage has been at this just as long as we have and you said yourself that she's good. There's a reason Sage found us in the woods that night a few months ago. You and Sage are good together, supposed to be together. Fate or whatever it was, thrust her into our lives for you. She makes you different, better." Sam finished the last bit in a rush. "Fate gifted a hunter with another hunter, and not just as a partnership but as someone to love and be with. There's a potential for real love and a life with her Dean, a life that includes hunting. It's perfect for you, job you love doing and a beautiful woman to love at your side. Don't waste it." Sam watched Dean's expression for any small changes.

"You said love Sammy." Dean said finishing off his first mug of coffee.

"Yeah I did Dean. I think that she loves you and that you love her. And if it isn't there yet then it will be soon. Don't fight it, fall in love with her, be with her. Be happy for once in your life." Sam stood from the table. "I need to make sure everything is prepared for our surveillance tonight so it all works without a hitch. Well, fingers crossed that is. I'm gonna go prepare. You think." With that Sam walked out the front door and over to the old news van that they would be using for that night's stake out. He set to work preparing everything and getting set up for the night.

Dean remained at the kitchen table, lost in thought, just listening to the sound of the water running in the shower and Sage's beautiful voice singing along to Evanescence. He couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice. The dangerous hunter had her guard down in a way that most people would never ever know her in; it was refreshing for Dean to know her like that, even though she didn't know that he did. He stood up and poured himself another mug of coffee and this time carried it to the couch where he sat down with his feet propped up on the table, still listening to the singing in the bathroom. It was another 20 minutes before the water shut off although Sage still continued singing, she was in her own world at the moment, no monsters, no weapons, no thinking, just relaxing, even if only briefly. When she finally left the bathroom, her long dark hair was still wet and hanging down her back. Her slender was only wrapped in a towel and she still had some water dripping from her body. She padded quietly into the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee.

"Mind if I take the room for a while? I need to get ready and it might take a bit of time." She sipped the coffee and looked to the older Winchester on the couch.

Dean didn't immediately comprehend her words. He was too busy exploring her body with his eyes, imagining. Sage in nothing but a towel was the most undressed he'd ever seen her and it was a fairly small towel only held to her body because it was tucked in at the top. "Oh, um, yeah, no problem."

Sage smiled at him as she wandered off to their bedroom and shut the door. He watched her walk off up until the point where the door closed behind her.

It was a few hours before Sage emerged again, fully ready for the evening and dressed to impress. Both the Winchester's jaws dropped to the floor when they turned around and saw her.

The always beautiful hunter looked especially gorgeous dressed up in black tie. The crimson dress she bought in the boutique accented her hair and eyes and the beautiful complexion of her skin. On her feet were the black satin stilettoes. The dress was elegant and classy but still very sexy. The tattoo on her wrist was completely hidden with tattoo concealer and she had a beautiful jeweled wristband over it as well. She also had a matching jeweled collar around her long, slender neck. She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. Her long dark hair was curled and brushed out and it was all pulled over her left shoulder and anchored with a large jeweled clip in the back of her head. The purple steaks especially were a beautiful contrast to her pale skin and her attire. She had a pair of dangle earrings that matched all her remaining jewelry. She was wearing a deep crimson red lipstick with a clear gloss over the top and she was also wearing mascara with flecks of copper in it. Her eyelids were made up with a smoky eye of blacks and silvers. Her eyeliner was somewhat winged with a slightly classy Egyptian style. Her teeth were perfectly white and her fingernails and toenails had black French tips. Sage looked like a million bucks, a woman who belonged in Dick Roman's circle.

Dean whistled at her and made an obvious gesture to look her up and down. "Can I take that off now?"

Sage laughed and spun around. "You like it?"

"I'll like it better on my bedroom floor." Dean replied quite honestly.

"You look stunning Miss Vanessa Greene." Sam told her, taking her hand and spinning her in a slow circle, calling her by her alias so she didn't forget.

She gave a slight bow and took the ear piece that Sam held out to her. She carefully positioned it in her left ear since her hair was covering it on that side. "What do you hear?" Dean asked Sam.

"It's working. I heard that. We will drop you off at a hotel closer into town and your limo will pick you up from there and take you to the party and then back to the hotel afterwards then we'll come back here and discuss everything that we find out."

Sage nodded. She knew the plan forward and backward, just as the brothers did. "Let's get going."

The long black stretch limo pulled up to Dick Roman's mansion right before a few town cars and other limos and assorted high in vehicles. The women who emerged from the limo was stunningly beautiful in her crimson dress with her dark hair cascading over her shoulder. Sage smiled as she took in the camera flashes around her and ascended the marble stairs to the front doors.

"Name." The security guard asked as he looked up from his clipboard to take her in.

"Vanessa Greene." Sage answered producing her fake ID and showing it to the man. He looked from the ID to the clipboard before handing it back to her.

"Enjoy the party Miss Greene." With that, he opened the door onto one of the most elegant scenes that Sage had ever seen. She entered the mansion and it was as if she entered another world.

There men in tuxes mingling with other men and women in long gowns gossiping with other women. There were also groups of men and women together and couples, some of them were dancing to the slow music and others were drinking together or enjoying some snack or another. Sage lightly rested her hand on the banister and descended the beautiful staircase to the party below her. She did take notice of the men in suits stationed at doorways and corridors and along the wall within the main area of the mansion. No doubt that they're all leviathan. Sage thought to herself as she walked among society's elite. She smiled and grabbed a crystal glass of champagne from a cocktail waiter that walked by her. She took a sip as she surveyed the room. No one had seemed to take much notice of her which she was glad of because she honestly didn't want to have to socialize with everyone at the party more than she had to. She a complete back story but didn't particularly want to hash it all out either.

"Excuse me? Miss? Do you mind if I ask you to dance?" Sage turned around to see a younger man, maybe only a bit older than her standing behind her. He wasn't Winchester attractive but he wasn't bad to look at either.

Sage plastered on her thousand watt smile and set her empty glass down on the nearby table. "Of course." She offered him her hand and he took it and led her out to the middle of the room where most of the dancing was taking place. He put his free hand on her waist and her free hand rested on his shoulder.

"So, what's your name?" He asked as he slowly spun her around.

"Vanessa." Sage replied. "Vanessa Greene. And yours?"

"James Stewart." He looked somewhat embarrassed with himself and almost uncomfortable to be around her. His eyes briefly caught her own bright green eyes before he looked past her.

"What brings you to this party then Mr. Stewart?" Sage asked casually but still trying to gain information on the motive behind this little event.

"Oh, um, my bank is looking to get involved in Mr. Roman's company and his charity work and research. Why are you here?"

Sage was briefly impressed. This man who seemed so nervous being in her company owned a bank; she wasn't expecting that. "I'm nothing but a socialite really. My father is the head of major pharmaceutical company overseas in Europe. He's the one involved in all of this, not me. But he doesn't much care for parties so I get the invite instead of him. I'm simply high up in society so I get to attend these nice parties." She smiled at him as the song ended and he bowed to her.

"Thank you for the dance Miss Greene. You look quite lovely."

"Thank you." He kissed her hand and then walked off to find another woman to dance with or another CEO or the like to talk business with. She didn't watch him go.

Instead she took a glass of ice water and sipped it slowly, the cool liquid feeling good as she drank it. She carefully maneuvered around the other guests of the party and picked up short bits of conversation here and there. There were CEOs talking about mergers and investors talking about finances and women gossiping about other women and hitting on men and vice versa. She rolled her eyes at what she was hearing. There was a reason that Sage didn't put herself in these situations and it was because she detested them and the people and how petty it all was. She was more comfortable behind a gun or a knife and killing some monster that most people didn't even know about just so they could maintain their oblivious lifestyle and go on being blissfully unaware of what the hunters do for them. She shook her head and finished her glass of water, replacing it on the table she was once again standing near. She stood casually and surveyed the scene going on around her, knowing nothing more of the leviathan's plan as she did when she entered the mansion.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself. Is there something I can help with?" The voice that sounded behind Sage made her blood run cold. But she wasn't a woman to show fear and she wasn't really afraid now. Instead she turned around to face the voice with her beautiful smile on her face.

"Well if it isn't the man of the hour, Mr. Dick Roman himself." Sage said giving him a slight nod.

"The very same." He replied gesturing to himself. "I seem to be at the disadvantage though because I don't know your name."

"Vanessa Greene." Sage said casually.

"Well, I'm very pleased to meet you." The head of the leviathan said to her extending his hand which she took and gave him a shake. "Do you care to dance?" he asked.

Sage smiled at him and allowed him to take her hand and lead her off to dance. She knew that alarm bells must have gone off with the Winchesters, and especially Dean, once she said Dick Roman's name since they could hear everything that she could.

"What brings you here Miss Greene?" He asked her as he lead her into a waltz.

"I like high end parties." She replied lying through her teeth. "And my father can get me into them."

"Whose your father?" He asked her, looking into her bright eyes.

Sage didn't even waver, she was used to being scrutinized by all kinds of people so she kept up her poker face, something she had spent years perfecting. "His name is Samuel Greene. He's the head of a huge pharmaceutical company in Europe."

Dick Roman smiled at her. "Smart man I'm sure. Is he involved in my company?"

"Yeah he is. His company invests and he takes a great interest in the doings of your company." Sage replied as she was spun under his hand and then brought back around.

"That's always good to hear." He told her. The song went right into another one and he kept dancing with her.

"Tell me, Mr. Roman, what is it that you're doing spending all your time with me when you should be mingling at your own party." Sage asked with a fake playfulness, casually observing the leviathan guards watching them.

"Please, call me Dick. And that would be because you are by far the most interesting person at this party." Sage could tell that he was putting on his best charm for her. Too bad for him it wasn't going to get him anywhere. She didn't want to sleep with him, she wanted to murder him. Too bad the hunters had yet to find a way to kill leviathan, only to slow them down and incapacitate them for a while.

"That's flattering." She laughed softly. "I'm the typical socialite I'm sure."

"Definitely not but I like that." He gave her a crocked smile. "I like the purple by the way." He briefly touched one of her purple curls before returning his hand to her waist.

"Thank you. An idea given to me by a friend of mine."

"What is it that you yourself do Miss Greene?"

"I'm an actress and an aspiring musician. I play guitar, piano, and violin. My dad wasn't too thrilled to hear about it but he is supportive."

"Into the arts. That's hard to get into."

"I know. But I'm talented and I've got a fall back at my dad's company if it doesn't work." Sage shrugged softly. "It would still always be a hobby regardless."

"Well then, best of luck to you." Dick Roman said to her, catching her eye and smiling. "I would like to show you something, will you come with me?"

Sage's nerves just shot up and she was now somewhat afraid but she didn't let it show. "But of course." She gave him her best fake smile.

"Excellent." The song ended and pair stopped dancing. The head of the leviathan grabbed two champagne glasses from a waiter and handed one to her. He then took her free hand and lead her away from the crowd down one of the back corridors and into a room at the end of the hall. It was a very large room with bookcases lining the walls and dark wood over everything. There was a massive desk with a large office chair behind it and two massive easy chairs and a glass coffee table. It was Dick Roman's office and it was a great office.

"Oh wow. This place is amazing." Sage exclaimed wandering around the room. She picked up various interesting objects and decorations and looked at them before replacing them back where she found them.

"Thank you. It's not many times that I have people back here who don't work for me. Let alone someone of your profession." He said taking a seat on the edge of the desk.

"My profession?" Sage asked, picking up an old gun and examining it. "This is beautiful." She turned it over in her and cocked it, knowing it wasn't loading. "Oh wow." She fired the gun and nothing happened just as she knew it would then she replaced it back on the rack.

"Thank you again. And you're a hunter of course. Never had one of those in here before."

Sage's blood turned to ice. "What are you talking about?" She kept the smile on her face but she was insanely nervous now. She turned around to face him.

"Don't pretend you don't know. It's unbecoming for one as smart as you." He was still using charm but his face was now darker and he wasn't quite so sweet.

Sage stood a moment weighing her options, unsure of how to proceed. Her and the Winchesters were absolutely positive that the leviathan knew nothing about her and that she would be safe but they must have been overly confident. She said nothing as Dick Roman locked the door to the study and then walked over to her. He grabbed her chin in one hand, softly but firmly and looked into her piercing green eyes. "You really are beautiful Sage. Perhaps I could use you on my team yet."

If Sage wasn't squirming yet she was now, and she knew that Dean would be beyond pissed off and freaked out waiting back in the news van. He knew her name and she knew this wouldn't end well for her. "I don't think so." She pulled away from him. "No way in hell will I work for you!"

He smiled at her, his smile filled with mock sadness and pity as he shook his head at her. "You can be made to see it my way. How do you think your little boyfriend would feel to know that I had my way with you and that you liked it? How do you think he would feel to know that I destroyed you, ruined your beautiful little face? How do you think he would feel to see you become leviathan and then come to kill him and his little brother? Dean Winchester's little squeeze switching over to me." He said advancing on her and blocking her between himself and the bookshelf. "But don't worry, I won't kill you yet. I do wanna have some fun with you first and I wanna make sure that your hunter boyfriend sees what I've done!"

"Dean isn't my boyfriend." She spat at him, no longer caring what happened to her.

"Don't you lie to me!" He smacked her, hard across the face and she fell to the ground. "My people saw you with him at that club in Vegas! That's right, I have eyes on the Winchesters from time to time. I've known of you since the first case you worked together." He squatted down next to her. "Now are you gonna put up a fight or let it all happen?"

In response she kicked him hard and knocked him the ground before she stood to crawl away. He reached out and grabbed ahold of her dress and yanked. It ripped all the around and torn off the whole skirt up until her mid thigh. She kicked off her heels to run and threw them at him. She knew she was a disadvantage. Her only weapon was the knife she had in the sheath on her thigh, the one that was now visible. But she couldn't open the door, it was locked with a key.

Dick Roman lunged at her, knocking her to the ground and knocking the wind out of her. "You're not gonna be needing that anymore." He pulled the remainder of her dress up and took the knife from her thigh and tossed it across the room where it clattered onto the floor behind the desk. "Feel free to scream all you want. This room is sound proof and no one will hear you." He laughed at her. "This isn't usually like me, usually I'm a perfect gentleman but here I'm going to make an exception. I hate the Winchesters, especially Dean, and this is the perfect chance to destroy him without exactly destroying him. I'll destroy you and make sure he knows what I've done to you. That's enough to make all this worth it to me. Believe me sweetheart, you'll be wishing I would just have killed you outright."

Sage screamed but he just laughed at her before smacking her again, right across the face. Tears sprung to her eyes but she wasn't going to cry, no matter what he did to her. She knew that even if she died, he wouldn't get away with this. Sam and Dean would find a way to kill him. She thought of Dean, of all the memories she had with him since they first met back in the woods a couple months ago. She struggled with the leviathan leader, tried to push him off with all her strength but it was useless, he wouldn't even move no matter how much she struggled.

"Go ahead, fight back! You won't win. It's useless." He said this as he used one hand to grab her wrists and hold them over her head.

"You're a monster!" She yelled at him, her long dark hair coming loose of the clip that pinned it back and falling out around her face. "More monster than anything else I've ever hunted!"

"Frankly, I don't care. You're my ticket to destroy the Winchesters and I'm taking it." He was set in full on revenge mode and nothing could stop that now. "I hope I'm there to see the look on Dean's face when he finds out what I did to you. Better yet, I'll tell him myself. I'll have him come here and see your battered and broken body while another leviathan takes your body image as their own. The enemy looking like you and the real you, dead and broken and bloody on my floor. Oh yes, I have to be there when he sees it. I'm gonna make you mine and he can't do anything about that." With that, Dick Roman said no more. He was just about to violate her in the worst way possible, rape, when she screamed at the top of her lungs and let her tears slip down her cheeks.

"DEAN!" She screamed, her heartache and desperation apparent in her voice.

"He's not coming sweetheart. He doesn't care about you. Now hold still!" He grabbed her arms and pinned them down harder so she'd quit fighting against him.

"DEAN!" She screamed this again and this time there was the loud sound of shattering glass and Dean burst through the large window in the study after shattering it with a shotgun blast. Sam wasn't too far behind him.

"Get off her!" Dean growled as he threw himself as the evil creature and knocked him off of Sage. She scrambled to her feet and ran to retrieve her knife where Dick Roman had tossed it.

She went over to Sam who grabbed her softly by both arms and looked at her with deep concern. "Are you okay?"

"I look worse than I actually am." Sage simply shrugged and held her knife in a defensive position, not that she really needed to at the moment. Dean was handling him just fine on his own.

Sage and Sam just stood back and watched Dean unless all his rage. He was currently sitting on top of the CEO, straddling his stomach and pinning his arms down with his knees. He was using both fists to punch the man repeatedly in the face, he also switched off occasionally to choke him out with both hands until he reached the brink of unconsciousness in which case he moved back beating him again. "Don't you ever, ever touch her again!" Dean's voice was very animalistic and full of hatred and rage. "Because next time you touch her or go anywhere near her, I'll kill you. And if I can't figure out how to do that then I'll just lock you up and torture you until my heart's content. You'll be wishing you were back in Hell." With that Dean gave him one last good punch to the face, the iconic face of the CEO now destroyed and covered in leviathan's black blood. "But for now." Dean pulled a flask from his pocket and poured the contents all over the monster's face. He screamed and his face sizzled under the ammonia. The elder Winchester then took out his knife and cleaved off the head, tossing it behind the desk. "Good riddance for now."

Dean put away the knife but left the flask on the ground. He quickly crossed the room in only a couple strides and took in the sight of Sage in front of him. He clenched his bloody fists and clenched his jaw. Dick Roman wrecked her. Her dress was ruined, the shoes discarded, her hair fell down, her makeup less than perfect. But her body was what hit Dean the hardest. She was cut up and battered, marks that wouldn't last more than an hour or 2 but it still hurt to see her messed up. Her eyes were also watery in the corners. "Oh my god." He didn't think, he just grabbed her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. He felt her relax and her slender arms wrap around his waist. "Look what he did to you. Are you okay? I'm sorry we didn't get her sooner. We couldn't find the right window but we came as soon as we could." He buried his face in her fragrant hair and squeezed her.

"I know you got here as soon as you could. I'm sorry I wasn't better prepared." Sage sighed, taking it the familiar feel of Dean's body against her own. He smelled good and he felt good.

"I wish I knew a way to kill that bastard now." Dean growled softly, slowly running a hand over her back. "If I lost you already or you got really hurt because of me, I would never forgive myself." Dean's voice cracked a moment and he squeezed her again. He was still aware of Sam's presence but he didn't even care. He pulled away from the first women he genuinely cared about besides Lisa but that was in the past. He took her face in his rough hands and without a thought he kissed her; it was soft but passionate.

Sage paid no mind to Sam as she leaned into Dean and kissed him back. It was so different kissing Dean than it was to kiss anyone else. He made her get lost, forget everything, clouded her mind when he kissed her. He was good at it too, but then again, she always assumed he would be before that night at the club. His touch was soft but rough. His lips were chapped but gentle, his kiss passionate but loving. She fell into a rhythm of kissing him; everything else fell away, including Sam who still stood close by and the currently dead body of Dick Roman.

It was Dean who slowly pulled away first. His hazel eyes held her own bright green ones and his hands were still on her small, beautiful face. She smiled, a real smile, and he returned it with his own smile. He slowly trailed one finger over her cheek.

"Damn it Sage." Dean whispered to her. "I'm in love with you." He didn't even give her the chance to say anything else before he kissed her again.

She couldn't have been any more shocked at Dean's words or any more happy either. She pulled back a moment. "Dean. I'm in love with you too." She smiled and kissed him again through her smile.

"We should go. Before this son of bitch wakes up or someone comes looking." Sam said, interrupting their moment but even he was smiling too.

Dean nodded. He picked Sage up and carried her through the window on his back to avoid the broken glass in her bare feet. Once they were outside the mansion they ran all the way back to the news van, piled in and began the drive back to their house where they could relax and rest up. Not that Sam thought neither Dean nor Sage would be doing much resting for a while.


	16. Dean's Suprise (Warning: Explicit!)

It was late when the trio finally arrived back at home. Sam dropped down right on the couch and turned the TV on, not even really caring what was playing. The first thing Dean did was grab a bottle of beer and drop down right beside his brother. Sage wandered off to the bedroom and closed the door. She pulled off her jewelry and discarded it on the dresser. Her dress she simply threw onto the floor, it was destroyed and there was no point in trying to care for it now. She also pulled her hair down and let it fall, the clip got tossed with the rest of the jewelry. She picked up a washcloth and wiped off all her makeup. She didn't bother much with clothes for the rest of the night, she had plans anyway. She put on the matching bra to her panties and over that she put on her black silk, Japanese looking robe. It was short, not reaching her knees. She tied the sash around her waist, tightly closed but the way she positioned it the robe came to a V and showed up a little cleavage but not much. She smiled to herself and padded out barefoot to rejoin the guys on the couch. She sat down beside Dean, putting her legs up on his lap. She grabbed the beer from his hand and took a swig herself before passing it back to him. She couldn't help but notice the way he looked at her, his hands resting on the revealed skin on her thighs. She sat there for the duration of the show that was on, some crime drama or another. When the show was over she leaned forward and whispered in Dean's ear. "Let's go back to the bedroom. I've got something to show you."

Dean gave her a mischievous smile before standing up and grabbing her hand and taking her back to the bedroom. He shut the door behind them and the lock clicked into place, leaving Sam alone on the couch until he retired to bed. But that wasn't really a concern of Dean's, Sam always got left behind when it came to women. His concern was finding out what Sage wanted to show him and he was itching to find out.

"Close your eyes." Sage whispered, her soft lips trailing lightly across his neck, causing goosebumps to appear on his exposed skin.

Dean said nothing as he silently obliged shutting his hazel eyes and standing just inside the room at the foot of the king size bed decked out in full black bed linens.

"Open your eyes now." Sage said, this time her voice a bit further away.

When Dean opened his eyes, his breath caught and his heart beat sped up. He uttered a soft involuntary whistle. "Damn I haven't seen someone look that nice in a long time." He looked her up and down with his eyes, not bothering to hide it and knowing that Sage didn't care.

Sage smiled. She stood a few feet from him with her beautiful black Japanese silk robe now on the floor at her feet. The only thing she was wearing was a black lace and mesh thong and the matching bra, appearing to add a cup size to her already ample C-cup cleavage. Her long pale legs were perfectly smooth and soft to the touch much like the rest of her skin was velvet soft. Her long dark hair hung in waves over her shoulders, wild with curl but yet tame. Her piercing green eyes sparkled with mischief and the promise of the night's coming events. She walked slowly over to the older Winchester, trailing one long finger across his chest and down to his waist. "How's this for a surprise and a great end to a night, hm?" The dangerous and beautiful woman spoke softly, her tongue quickly flicking out and lightly running over his ear and then down his neck; she winked at him after pulling away and catching his fiery hazel eyes.

Dean said nothing in response to her question, his mind already teeming with the possibilities the night with Sage was going to offer him. Instead he wrapped his strong arms around her small waist and pressed his lips to hers, fully showing her the passion and the desire that he was feeling. Sage's arms came up around his neck and she kissed him back, harder. Still kissing her and pressing her frame tight against his own body, he walked her backwards until the both fell down on top of the downy black comforter. Sage carefully scouted up the bed until her legs no longer hung off the side, Dean followed her, kissing up and down her neck before kissing her lips again. She slipped her hands up the back of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head before discarding haphazardly onto the ground somewhere else in the room. Dean nibbled at her neck, biting hard but not too hard, his hand sliding down her side and to her thigh where he slowly caressed her leg.

Sage's own gentle hands, explored Dean's chest, running over the contours of his muscles and feeling them move beneath her touch. She nuzzled her head against his neck, slowly running her tongue over the artery just beneath the skin, her breath giving him chills. "It's as if you've never done this before Dean Winchester." She breathed softly, her breath gentle on his exposed skin.

"Not with someone who can excite me like you can." He sighed, his voice gravelly and heavy with his breathing.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Her voice carried on a hint of mischievous as she wrapped her leg around his waist and in one swift move flipped him over so she was on top of him. She straddled him, enjoying the delight she saw in his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed him, her passion carrying through her body as she slipped her tongue between his lips and toyed with his own. She lightly bit his lip before pulling back and kissing down his chest all the way to the waistband of his pants. She watched him as she ran her hands up his inner thighs before swiftly unhooking his belt and pulling it through the loops before discarding it like his shirt. She watched his eyes as she slowly unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans.

He gave her a naughty half smile. "You're getting into dangerous territory, think you can really handle it?"

"I don't think you know quite what I'm capable of handling. Besides, I like a little danger." She winked at him as she pulled his socks off with her toes and dropped them to the floor. She looped her fingers through his belt loops and worked his jeans off so he was in nothing but his boxers and the pile of cloths on the ground was growing.

Sage crawled back up to his body until her face was level with his again. "Damn do I want you." Dean said to her, his voice rough as he put one hand on the back of her neck and pulled her gently but roughly down to kiss him again. He kept kissing her as he flipped her over again, taking her arms and holding them by her head. He transferred both her wrists to one hand and ran his other hand over her side and stomach before reaching around to her back and unhooking her bra, working it over her arms and throwing it across the room.

"I'm not so submissive Dean." Before he saw it coming, in one fluid she pulled her wrists from his grasp and leaned up, biting his neck, running her nails down his back.

He closed his eyes and twined his fingers through her long dark locks. "I like a woman who will take charge."

Sage released his neck and licked the spot before kissing him, hard. "Sometimes I like to take charge." She slowly ran her tongue across his bottom lip before softly nibbling it.

"I've never slept with another hunter before. This will be quite interesting, possibly dangerous." Dean told her as he lowered his head to her neck and lightly sucked and nibbled on her neck as he ran his hand over her chest and then down her thigh.

"I live for the danger. It's sexy." Her smile was mischievous and her eyes sparkled with mischief. "You're sexy." Sage ran her slender fingers through Dean's short choppy hair as she said it, pulling his face down to meet hers. Their lips touched in a fire of sparks and passion. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she lightly bit his bottom lip, full and soft, not like hers but great lips on him. With one hand, Dean pulled off her thong and threw it aside, feeling the soft skin of her thighs beneath his fingertips.

It was getting harder and harder for Dean to really think about anything; Sage was taking away all his mental abilities and he didn't care. She was the only woman who had ever done that to him, made him get so lost in them and being with him. Sage was truly special and different and that's partially why he loved. He was pulled back from these thoughts when he felt her soft hands move down his muscular back to his waist where she slowly worked off his boxers and tossed them on the floor.

"Dean." Sage's voice was breathy, uneven. She trailed her fingers over his chest, resting her right palm on his chest, directly over his antipossession tattoo. She pressed her lips to his and whispered again against his lips, "Dean."

The more Sage said his name, especially in that hot, breathy way she was now, the harder it was for him to handle. Sage had him burning with desire and passion. He wanted her, he wanted her now. It was so different with her, it all was including the sex and all that went with it.

She was kissing him in a way that he couldn't handle. The heat of her passion, the feel of her body under his, the velvety softness of her skin, the sounds she made were all too much for him. He had to have her and he had to have her right then.

"Mmm. Oh Dean." Her lips were so soft and tempting against his own. Her fingers trailed through his hair and her other hand explored his back and chest. Her bright eyes were closed as she was lost in kissing him. She pulled him down onto her, his body flush with hers as she grinded against him fully naked. She used her tongue to play with his inside his mouth while they kissed, exchanging. Her breath was heavy, breathy, her voice was pitchy. "Dean…"

With that last utterance of his name Dean had lost all sense of thinking. Sage took away all his mental faculties, now all he could do was act. He slid one hand up her body, cupped her breast before moving his hand to the back of her neck and pressing his lips as hard as he could against her own as she wrapped her long legs around his waist and he pushed into her.

"Ooohhh." Her arms tightened around his neck and shoulders and she threw her head back. Her long fingernails dug into his shoulder blades and the pain was a pain that Dean loved. He ran his tongue slowly down her neck before sinking into the soft flesh there causing the beautiful woman under him to push her body up against his own, grinding against his hips, her movements a compliment to his. He bit her, hard and she cried out. She loved it. "Oh yes! Harder! More!"

Dean smirked before leaning into her and kissing her passionately, his kissing, his movements, his thrusts, his sex, showing her all his passion. His teeth left obvious marks on her neck around a dark purple hickie, but he liked that. "Tell me how you like it." He said to her, quickly against her lips, loving the taste of her.

Sage slid one hand from the hunter's muscular back and ran it through her own hair. "Oh yeah, right there." She gripped the black sheets in her fist and ran her nails roughly over his back. She moaned, a sound so deep and sexual that it aroused Dean even more if that was at all possible. "Mmmmm." The female hunter wasn't thinking at all, she was only acting, reacting. She was running on full instinct and instinct alone. She wrapped her legs tightly around her waist and pushed him deeper, controlling how far in he went. It was Dean who was controlling the speed, going as fast as he could at times and then at other times going very slow and deliberate and deep, tempting her, making her want even more. His moans meshed with her own in the beautiful, animal sound of amazing sex.

"Oh god!" She pushed her body hard against his, her body covered in a thin layer of sweat just like his. She used her legs and her body to push him over so she was on top of him now. She was the one in control now. Her long dark hair was tangled and wild and her eyes were crazed and insanely sexy as Dean looked at her. He pushed against her with his hips, his calloused hands sliding over her thighs and stomach before grabbing her breasts in his hands and squeezing them. With one hand he put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her face down to his where she kissed him and fireworks danced across both their eyes in a crazy hot display. Their kissing was hot and heavy, making it hard for them to catch their breaths, their heartbeats speeding in a way they never did even on the rigorous exercise of their job.

While Sage was leaned over him, her mouth occupied completely with his own, he wrapped his hands around her back and thrust up and down with his hips while she moved back and forth, her sighs and her moans making their kissing even hotter. Dean ran one hand along her back before tangling it in her mess of long dark hair and pulling on it. She lightly nibbled on his lower lip biting his neck like he had bitten her. He could feel her body start to tense and coil up and her reactions become bigger with every push, every move he made with her, against her. Everything that he did was matched with something that she did, she kept up with him like no one had ever done before.

She released her teeth from his neck just he quickly overpowered her and rolled her over underneath him again. He placed one of his hands on the back of her thigh to gain more leverage so he could push deeper, get her closer. "OH! God yes!" Sage's bright green eyes sparkled, her fingers pulling what of his hair that she could grab on to. Her other hand making scratch marks all down his back . "Mmmmmmmmmmm." She bit her full pouty lower lip and moved her body against Dean's, her's flush against his in a passionate embrace. Dean knew exactly what he was doing, he was going fast and he was going hard and he went deep too. Dean Winchester wasn't one to mess around when it came to sex, he was skilled and he knew what he was doing and Sage matched him.

In one swift motion, Dean wrapped both his arms around Sage's small body and pulled her forward onto his lap where she wrapped her arms around his neck and grinded against his hips while he pushed. He twisted his fingers into her hair and pulled on it hard with a couple really deep thrusts, pushing him farther, deeper than he had been before. That did it. "Oooohhhhh Dean!" Sage's piercing green eyes closed as she dug her nails into his back. Her mouth opened forming a perfect 'o' as her body shook in his lover's embrace as he got her off in a way that no one ever had before.

He never stopped moving throughout it all. Her moans and cries and screams of pleasure pushed him harder. He gripped her tighter in his arms, held flush against his body. He pushed harder and harder, more and more, loving the pleasurable response that came from Sage, until he got off himself, moaning loudly and digging his fingers into her soft skin.

He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply, passionately, while they both still tried to catch their breath despite all the kissing. Their hearts were racing faster than they ever had before, their blood was hot, and their skin was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Their breathing was shallow and rapid as they tried to slow their breathing and regain control.

"I love you Dean Winchester." Sage said to him against his lips between their kissing. She had not moved from his lap since they finished. They were still tangled in each other's embrace and he remained inside her.

Dean reluctantly pulled away from her soft lips and instead looked into her eyes. "I love you." Her took her face in his palms and caressed her cheek with his thumbs. He leaned in slowly this time and touched his lips to hers. This time their kissing was long and sensual, loving, less hurried and less frantic. He carefully laid her back on the bed and moved on top of her still kissing her slowly, his fingers trailing over her bare skin and giving her goosebumps. "I'm gonna kill him you know. I'm gonna find a way and I'm gonna kill him."

Sage pulled her lips from his and looked into his hazel eyes. She didn't need to ask him to know that he was referring to the Leviathan leader, Dick Roman. "Shhhh. Don't talk of it." She grabbed him and kissed him, trying to distract his thoughts. She ran a slender hand over his thigh, caressing him. "Just kiss me babe."

"No one attacks my girl the way that he did and gets away with it." Dean gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists beside her head until his knuckles turned white.

"Your girl huh?" Sage smiled at him. Her full lips showing her white teeth and the smile traveling all the way to her eyes. "I like the sound of that."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah." She laughed, her voice the sound of beautiful music. She was still smiling when Dean wrapped his strong arms around her small frame and pulled her naked body against his, loving the way her skin felt against his own. He kissed her again, getting lost in her, the feel of her, the smell of her, just all of her. Dean was content to spend his whole life in this bed with her and he would if he could.

"Dean, make love to me again." Sage whispered, her lips brushing his with the softness of a light summer breeze.

He smiled at her. "I thought you'd never ask." She laughed wildly as her pulled her small body on top of his own and showered her neck in seductive kisses as he pushed into her again, sending them on another pleasure ride.

It was nearly an hour later when they collapsed beside each other, breathing hard, covered in sweat with their hearts racing. Sage smiled at him, her small hand finding his as they lay side by side on their backs and she held his hand, entwining her fingers through his. Her hair fanned out behind her head and looked insanely messy. Neither of them said anything for awhile, they were simply content to lay beside each other on the soft bed, saying nothing and enjoying being together.

It was Sage who spoke first, turning her head to face Dean and looking at him with her bright green eyes. "You're different." She propped her herself up on her elbow and laid her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"How's that?"

"Everything's different with you. The connection, the feelings, everything. I haven't felt this way before." She smiled at him, her fingertips tracing his tattoo.

"And Tristan?" Dean was almost reluctant to ask but the question had escaped before he thought too much about it.

"What I did feel for Tristan is long gone. But even that is only a shadow of this." She leaned in and kissed him, slowly, deeply, feeling his arms wrap around her body and pull her closer, his lips moving against her own.

"I know the feeling." Dean mumbled back to her.

"What of Lisa?"

"Only a memory. What we had was nothing like this." He ran his hands over her arms, watched her face. "Believe me."

"I do." She kissed him one more time before laying her head down against his chest and resting her arm across his waist.

Dean reached over and pulled the sheet over them before putting his arms around the female hunter and holding her close to him, liking the way she felt there pressed against his body, like she belonged. "Goodnight Sage."

She smiled but he couldn't see it. "Goodnight Dean."

They were both fast asleep in the cozy bed in the dark room within minutes.


	17. The Morning After and The Next Case

The sun was high by the time Sage opened her green eyes, it was just past noon. She looked over to where Dean was sleeping the night before to find him gone. It was rare for him to be awake before she was, he detested early mornings just like she did. She stretched before rolling over to the side of the bed and sidestepping their discarded clothing from the night before. She dug out a pair of panties and slipped them on while digging for Dean's t-shirt on the floor. She found it and pulled it over her head before pulling her hair from the collar. She opened the bedroom door and padded out into the hallway and into the kitchen. Sam and Dean were both sitting at the table pouring over newspapers and articles on the laptop. Each had a cup of coffee but while Sam had clearly been up for hours and was dressed and freshly showered, Dean was in only his pair of rumbled jeans, his chest bare, and his hair was a mess.

Sage spun his chair around in one move and straddled him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in and kissed him. Her lips were soft as she pressed them to his. She felt him wrap his own strong arms around her waist and pull her against his naked chest, closer to his body. He kissed her back, no longer thinking of work. Instead he thought of getting her back into their bedroom for a repeat performance of the night before. He slid one hand over her completely uncovered thigh and ran it over and up her shirt to the small of her back.

Sam cleared his throat. "Didn't you two get enough of that last night?" He said to the pair who was being somewhat of a distraction.

Sage slowly parted her lips from Dean's and looked to Sam on the other side of the table. "Oh Sam, you can never have enough."

She smiled mischievously before pressing her lips against Dean's one more time before sliding off his lap and going to pour herself a cup of coffee before rejoining them at the table but this time in a separate chair and not Dean's lap.

She changed from playful woman to serious hunter in seconds as she sat down the mug and looked to Sam. "So. Any potential cases?"

"I haven't seen anything of interest yet." He replied setting another paper aside in the growing pile on the ground.

"Mhm." Sage murmered picking up a newspaper and flipping through it, skimming the articles for anything that seemed supernatural. She softly chewed her bottom lip while reading which was something that was driving Dean insane to watch her do. "What about this? There's a man who went missing just after leaving work and he didn't leave a single trace. Nothing. Just vanished."

Sam looked up from the computer screen. "Yeah I looked at that too but digging further into it, it appeared that he had a mistress and she is also gone."

"I bet the wife killed them." Dean chimed in looking at Sage. "Cheating is a good motive for murder but not our case."

"Always a good thing to remember." Sage said playfully but she was also quite serious and Sam knew she would do it if she felt she had to.

"This!" Dean said, spinning a newspaper to Sage who set down her own and picked up his and read over the article that he pointed out to her.

"Entire families slaughtered as if for a ritual. All the exact same way and all the families had the same make up. Police haven't seen anything like it." Sage nodded before passing it to Sam. "I like it."

"Where is this place?" Sam said already formulating an action plan for the three hunters.

"Florida. Pensacola, Florida." Dean replied running his fingers through his hair.

"We should get going soon. I should get dressed." Sage stood from the table and polished off her first mug of coffee.

"What's your hurry?" Dean gave her a mischievous smile before reaching out and pulling her back onto his lap. He put his hand behind her neck and lowered her face to kiss her. That was all the prodding Sage needed before she stood from his lap and grabbed his hand and led him back to their bedroom where she closed the door behind them and locked it. They weren't going to be leaving to go anywhere just yet.

It was another few hours before Sage tossed their last duffel bag into the trunk of the Impala before climbing into the front seat beside Dean who was going to be driving them to Florida which meant loud rock music for the duration of the ride and that was fine by her. Sage grew up like Dean into a love of all things hard rock and some old school metal. The engine of the '67 purred to life as Dean turned the key and they were on their way on the long drive to Florida.

"What are we thinking on this case? I mean ritualistic killings, it has to be witches or demons or something or someone trying to cast some sort of spell to do who knows what." Sage mused aloud as she air drummed to Metallica.

"I'm guessing it's demons. All we need to do is find the sulfur to prove it and his ass is toast once we find him." Dean replied since he could hear her better than Sam could over the blaring music.

"Hopefully it isn't Crowley up to something he shouldn't be." Sam shouted to be heard from the back seat.

Dean snorted. "Yeah. Nothing more terrible than normal anyway."

Sage reached into the case at her feet and pulled out her machine gun and started to take it apart piece by piece and lay them side by side on the space between her and Dean. Then she pulled out everything she needed to clean from the other bag beside her feet.

"Does it ever bother you to use and carry something like that monster gun?" Sam asked as he watched her carefully clear the massive weapon carefully piece by piece before putting them back in their proper place.

"Oh no. This is my favorite of all my guns. It's scary looking and gets the job done quite well, especially with bigger creatures like that werewolf. And I'm trained on it, military trained. I'm somewhat of a self-proclaimed weapons specialist." She laughed as she looked back at Sam. "Besides, it's bad ass."

Sam couldn't argue with that because those things she said were certainly quite true.

"Not that it does much against demons though. Just kills their meat suits but not the demons. I just like having it ready at all times. You never know when you may need it."

Sam couldn't believe how like Dean she was. She really was the female version of Dean. He wondered if she slept with a gun under her pillow like Dean always did and probably still does. There's also usually a knife very nearby also, just in case.

"Welcome to the Sunshine State." Sam chimed from the backseat where he was pouring through John Winchester's journal for anything about the killings.

Sage groaned as she stretched her long legs out on the seat and rested her feet on Dean's thigh. "What's our plan? We're gonna have to stop and change if we're FBI."

Now it was Dean's turn to groan. "I hate the monkey suits."

Sam nodded. "So do I, but it's the easiest way to get information."

Sage rubbed her right foot over Dean's thigh as he drove on. "We should pull over soon, change clothes. How much further?"

"Should be about another hour right Sammy?" Dean said changing the tape in the cassette player.

"Yeah, give or take." Sam replied. "Take the next exit. We can change in the gas station there."

Dean said nothing as he got off at the exit and pulled into the gas station parking lot. The three hunters piled out of the car and opened the trunk to pull out their duffel bags before heading into the little shop to change their clothes. It was another few minutes before the three emerged from the bathrooms.

Sage looked just as stunning as ever in her typical FBI attire. Her tight black pencil showing off the curves of her toned legs and hugging her butt and hips. Her deep crimson silk top laid nicely on her body, some buttons left unbuttoned at the top to give a hint of what laid beneath the soft fabric. The black jacket she wore over the top made the look even more professional although it did barely cover the gun holstered on her waist. The black stilettos she wore made her long legs look even longer. Her long dark hair was pulled into a tight ponytail high on her head. She hadn't bothered with too much makeup, only eyeliner, mascara, and a deep crimson red lipstick.

Dean couldn't quite get over how smoking hot she looked as a fed no matter how many times he saw her. He did take notice of the fact that she had used cover up on her neck to hide the marks he had left on her the night before and probably again that morning. "Damn you look good."

"You don't look so bad yourself Agent." She winked at him before kissing him.

"We should go, partners." Sam said to them, stressing that last word to emphasize that they weren't supposed to be together. "You've got some lipstick on Agent Jones."

Sage smirked as Dean pulled out a napkin and wiped the crimson color from his lips. "We should definitely go." Sage walked out of the convenience store, her stilettos clicking all the way out the door and her attire catching the eye of every man inside. She really was quite dangerous.

By the time they reached the police station Sage no longer seemed the playful woman or the deadly hunter, she was the serious federal agent. She stepped out of the Impala and firmly closed the door behind her before walking into the police station followed by the Winchester boys. She had a powerful presence and demanded attention.

"May I help you?" A slightly rotund man stepped from behind his desk to address the new party.

"FBI. I'm Agent St. Clare. This is Agent Jones and Agent Todd. We're here about the series of murders." Sage said flicking her badge out to show the officer and gesturing to Sam and Dean behind her who showed their badges in turn.

"Thank god. You guys can have that case. We're sick of it. It's getting us nowhere except anger from the boss." The man seemed so relieved to see them that he wasn't even angry about the feds coming in and taking a case from the local precinct.

"Sir, do you have any leads?" Sam asked, pulling a notepad from his inside jacket pocket.

"Not a damn one." The cop said turning and pulling a file from his desk and handing it over to Dean who started to look through it. He handed another one to Sage. They were the case files for the murders that had happened so far.

"Can we see the crime scenes?" Dean asked closing the file and tucking it under his arm.

"Be our guest. Hopefully it's better to the 3 of you than it was to any of us. The addresses are in the files."

Sage gave him her thousand watt smile before reaching out to shake his hand. "Thanks for all your help officer. We'll let you know what we find." She turned and left the precinct followed by her boyfriend and his brother.

"At least that was easy. No dealing with local cops much. It's our case." Sage said climbing into the passenger seat of the Impala and handing the other file that Dean passed over to her.

Dean climbed in behind the wheel and started the car towards the most recent home and site of the latest family murder.

"Nice place." Dean remarked as he shut off the car and parked in the driveway.

"I'm sure the inside is much messier." Sage replied removing her black jacket and tossing it on top of the files on the seat.

Sam nodded as he climbed the front steps and pulled the key from his pocket to open the door. Sage reached down and pulled a switchblade her waist which she used to cut the seal on the door before Sam opened it up onto a scene straight out of a horror movie.

There was blood everywhere, on the floor, the walls, the furniture, everything. Glass was broken, furniture was overturned. The chalk marks remained where the bodies were found.

"Holy shit." Dean muttered as he stood in the doorway looking about the room. The plush white carpet was pretty much the same color as Sage's crimson silk blouse.

Pieces of glass crunched beneath Sage's heel as she slowly walked around the room. Behind her Dean pulled out his homemade EMF reader and slowly making his sweep of the room. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Dean pocketed the device and followed Sage as she climbed the staircase.

"I haven't found any sulfur residue yet either." Sam called up the stairs as he was carefully examining the ground and windows on the ground floor.

Sage and Dean split at the top of the stairs and each started checking room after room in turn. It was Sage who came across the master bedroom. The bed soaked through with blood and splatter was everywhere. "What the hell happened in this house?" Sage wondered to herself, chewing her lower lip. She wondered over to the bed and looked all around it. It was then that she noticed the black powder on the edge of the bed.

"Dean! Sam! I found something!" Sage yelled as she ran her fingers over the substance and looked closely at it.

Dean came running into the room with Sam on his heels. "Sulfur. We've got demons." She said standing up and scanning the room.

"The question is, who are they and what is their big plan." Sam replied.

The hunters search of the next house turned up much the same results, signs of a serious struggle, blood everywhere, and traces of sulfur. Sage was sprawled out on one of the beds in the hotel room wearing a plain black tank top and denim short shorts. She had a laptop in front of her and she was searching the net for any mention of this type of ritual in connection with demonic activity. Sam was doing much the same thing from the small table in their room. He was also looking for any other cases of the same thing throughout the country. Dean was pacing the room flipping through his father's journal for anything he might have found out about it. Both men had quickly changed out of their suits and put on jeans and t-shirts.

"Not a damn thing. Dad never encountered any rituals requiring this kind of activity." Dean closed the journal with a slam and tossed it on the bed beside Sage.

She nodded. "I haven't found anything either. Lots about demons but nothing about this kind of thing. It doesn't even really seem to go with demons at all."

The pair watched as Sam's expression changed as he read something on his screen. "I found it."

"What is it?!" Sage and Dean asked him at the same time, eager to know so they could move on.

"Lower level demons can sacrifice entire families to a higher level demon using some special knife and that demon will make them more powerful, much like they are. It low level demons doing the killing. Thing is, we don't know who or how many there are."

"What about the high level demon? The one they're sacrificing to." Sage asked, tapping her bottom lip with her index finger.

"Looks like they don't have to be around at all. It doesn't even seem like they gain much from the whole deal except souls. They probably don't care that much really." Sam said turning back to the screen.

"And there's way to know how many demons are involved?" Dean asked.

"Doesn't seem to be."

Sage chewed her lip. "Damn demons."

"We should go check out some places that families would hang out in. They're probably scoping out their next target." Sam said closing the lid to his laptop and walking past Sage and Dean to plop down on his bed.

Sage leaned back where she stood and relayed on Dean to keep her upright. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his chin on top of her head. "Tonight?" Sage asked running her slender hands over Dean's forearms.

Sam looked at his watch. "Yeah, we should be able to knock out a couple places, like restaurants perhaps."

Sage nodded, fully intending to change again and put on something more suitable to go eat with families but just her leaning her tiny body against Dean and the way she smelled and felt in his arms had her boyfriend leaning into her ear and giving her other ideas before planting a kiss on her neck behind her ear.

She turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Not now Dean. We're supposed to be working." She smiled at him and started laughing at his naughty ideas, wanting to fall into bed with him more than she wanted to go stake out some restaurants for families. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his and kissed him with everything she had. "Later," she whispered. "I'll have a surprise for you." She winked at him before kissing him again and swinging free of his arms in one move and reaching for her favorite pair of dark jeans which she pulled on after discarding her shorts. She threw her leather jacket on over her tank top and looked over to the brothers who were also pulling jackets on and preparing to go.

Sam had Ruby's knife in his coat pocket and Dean stashed a knife in his coat too. Sage grabbed her usual large knife and sheathed in behind her back and also putting her switchblade in her calf sheath. She caught Dean's eye and he winked at her causing her to smile before they all walked out the door to one of the restaurants.

They had been sitting in the restaurant for 2 hours already and they were all getting increasingly bored. Sam sat on one side of the table drinking a beer and fiddling with the peeling label. Sage and Dean sat across from him, each with their own bottle of beer. Sage would have switched it up and ordered rum and coke but they didn't offer that at the family friendly restaurant. Instead she twirled her bottle in one hand and looked over Sam's shoulders at the people behind him for anything suspicious and Dean did much the same thing. Her boredom was causing her to run her hand up and down Dean's thigh underneath the table.

"Nothing man! There hasn't been anything going on all night! Nothing suspicious." Dean slammed his bottle on the table, catching the eye of some of the other patrols. Sage gave his thigh a gentle squeeze and looked to Sam.

"I agree. I haven't seen a thing."

Sam said nothing. Sage and Dean both caught that he was seriously observing something. Sage turned slightly around and leaned into Dean in a flirty manner to appear to whisper in his ear. She saw a couple with 3 little girls and she also noticed a man sitting alone with a cup of coffee who seemed to be watching them with some intent.

"There's a shady looking man at your 5 o'clock with black cropped hair and a beard. He's observing a family directing behind us. I think we found our demon." Sage whispered to Dean before turning around.

Before she turned to face Sam again, Dean grabbed her and kissed her and whispered to her. "Is it just him or are there more?"

"I only saw him." She replied before taking another sip of beer.

They nodded their acknowledgement to Sam.

"We need to follow him when he leaves." Sam said.

"What about the family?" Dean asked. "Someone needs to protect them too."

"If we're tailing the demon then they'll be fine. We'll be there if he tries anything." Sage said. In a lower voice she added, "I do wanna kick some demon ass."

Dean smiled and chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Guys, he's leaving now. We have to go too." Sam said polishing off his beer and pulling out cash to cover their bill and leaving it on the table.

Dean grabbed Sage's hand and led her outside followed by Sam. They didn't wanna lose the demon and they spotted him across the parking lot getting into a white pickup truck. Dean quickly climbed into the Impala and started the engine as Sam got in beside him and Sage slammed the backseat door.

"Let's do this." Sage commented as Dean slowly pulled out of the lot and began to follow the pickup at a same distance.


	18. Crowley, The Plan, and Sage's Worries

"We're gonna have to find a way to trap it. Get inside and put a devil's trap in the place." Sam said as he observed the demon's hideout from their place in the Impala.

"Or we just go up there, knock on the door, and stab it in the chest." Sage added nonchalantly as she spun the knife around in her hand.

Dean couldn't help but crack a smile. "Let's go with that plan. We don't know how powerful this thing is now or if we'd even have time to set a devil's trap and get it locked up and exorcised before it kills that poor family from the restaurant. We have to act now."

"You're right. It probably won't leave until it goes to kill them and won't return until they're dead. We do have to act now." Sam nodded. "Pop the trunk. Let's get ready."

Dean clicked the latch and the three hunters climbed out of the car and moved around to the back without making a sound. Sam removed a jug of holy water from the trunk as Dean grabbed a sawed off and a couple of rock salt rounds. Sage declined the offer of a gun in favor of only wielding Ruby's knife. The boys didn't push the issue. They knew how skilled she was in close combat with just a knife; she was deadly. Dean closed the trunk on the arsenal with a click and the three hunters silently and swiftly made their way up to the house.

Sage and Sam positioned themselves on opposite side of the door while Dean rapped hard a couple times on the solid wood, the gun held hidden from view behind his leg.

The three were silent as they waited. It was only seconds before they heard footsteps coming from inside the house. The door opened to reveal the same man they had seen at the restaurant. Dean wasted no time in pulling out the gun and blasting the demon twice in the chest. It screamed in pain and stumbled back into the house leaving the entry way clear for the hunters to step in.

"Why you!" The demon yelled as he eyes turned black and he lunged at Dean not seeing Sam with the holy water until it was too late and he was covered it and began to smoke and howl in pain.

Sage took advantage of the fact that it couldn't see to give him a swift kick to the back of its knees and send it sprawling to the ground. She hovered over it a moment on the ground. "Back to hell." She said before plunging Ruby's knife into it's chest all the way down to the hilt. The demon flickered and then was dead. She pulled the knife from the body and used the man's shirt to wipe off the blood before stashing it in a sheath on her thigh.

Suddenly there was the sound of a single person clapping from the darkness of an adjacent room. All three turned at once to the sound ready for a fight if it came to.

"Well done. Very efficient work. I was just coming to claim him myself because he was in some serious trouble but it was so nice of you to save me the effort." A figure emerged from the shadows. "Hello boys."

"Crowley." Sam and Dean said at once upon seeing the King of Hell standing in front of them once again.

"It's been awhile. How are you?" The demon asked with a strange smile on his face.

"What do you want Crowley?" Dean growled at him.

"Oh nothing." Crowley's attention was quickly drawn to the woman standing at Dean's side. "My, my, who is this beauty? I'm Crowley, the King of Hell." He also noticed Dean's muscles tighten when he took notice of the woman at his side.

"My name is Sage LaRouche. I'm a hunter." She replied calmly, looking directly at him.

"Well I am pleased to meet your acquaintance. Although I'm shock to know that someone as lovely as you in the same line of work and working with these two." He gestured to the Winchesters.

Dean gritted his teeth and put an arm around Sage's waist.

Crowley smiled. "Ah. So she's your girl, is she Dean? I was wondering if she was sleeping with one of you. Or perhaps both of you."

"Shut your mouth Crowley." Dean yelled.

"Temper, temper. I was only curious." He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "So Sage, is Dean every bit the lover that all the women claim he is? He is quite the ladies man."

"Was quite the ladies' man." She said calmly, her voice never betraying any emotion. "And yes, he is every bit the lover that people claim and more."

"You're quite the even tempered one or at least you keep it hidden. I'm surprised it's Dean you chose. But then again, every woman does. Isn't that right Sammy?"

Sam said nothing. He just glared and focused on not lunging across the room and taking the demon out right then and there.

"You know Sage, I could show you things, things you couldn't even imagine. You could come with me. Leave these two and this life behind, move on to something better. What do you say?" Crowley reached out his hand as an offer to the female hunter.

Sage shook her head and stood her ground beside Dean. "I want to be here. With Dean."

The demon laughed. "I'll never understand why you chose him of all people. But it was a pleasure to have met you. So long boys." Crowley disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared.

"So, that was the famous King of Hell." Sage remarked calmly still looking to the place where he had stood just recently.

"Yeah, that was him alright. Cocky son of a bitch." Dean said gritting his teeth. "We could take him out anytime he appears to us."

"But you don't."

"No. In some weird way, we have an understanding, we kinda just leave each other alone for the most part. He's helped us before and vice versa." Sam told her as they all 3 moved from the house and went back to the Impala across the street. "He gave us some of his blood which we need to do the spell over the weapon which will bring down the head of the Leviathan. He wants them taken out as much as we do. That day is fast approaching. We all know it, you, me, Dean, Castiel, Meg, Crowley. We have to be ready."

Sage nodded. "I'm ready to end that son of a bitch. He took everything too far and I won't have it. Let's do it. Soon."

Dean tossed the keys over to Sage. She took that as her silent cue for her to drive them back home so he could sleep on the drive. He had been sleeping restlessly lately, more so than usual and Sage was the only one who noticed and that was only because she shared a bed with him every night. She knew it was because he was anxious and nervous about taking out Dick Roman but if he didn't sleep he wouldn't be much help when the time came for their mission either.

They had been driving for an hour or so with Dean sleeping in the backseat when Sage turned to Sam. "Sam?"

He looked up from his computer screen and turned to look at her. "Yeah?"

"What's our plan for taking out Dick Roman?" She adjusted her grip on the steering wheel and turned down the Metallica tape to hear what Sam had to say.

"We've only briefly discussed it. We know that we need to be careful and that we will be using Charlie's access card and code to get into the building. Meg will create some sort of distraction outside and draw the guards out to her so we have less to deal with. Cas and Dean are gonna take our weapon and go find him. Me and you were gonna be back up and make sure they got their job done without interruption."

"Do you really think we can do without causalities?" She asked him looking ahead to the empty road in front of the Impala.

"I honestly don't know. I know we can do it but I don't know to what cost it will happen. Dean and Cas have the most dangerous job, they have to find and kill him. The rest of us are back up and distractions."

"That's what worries me."

"Me too. I've lost Dean too many times but we have to take out the Leviathan."

Sage gave him a faint smile. "I know. But it doesn't make the worry lessen does it?"

"No, it doesn't." Sam reached across the seat and squeezed her hand before putting it back on his leg.

"It's funny how we do so much for people, to keep them safe but they won't ever know, can't ever know. Sometimes it would be nice to be appreciated. The world would be chaos without us."

"The world would be hell without us. But it would also be chaos if people knew the truth about what was out there waiting to get them."

"I'm scared Sam. I've got a bad feeling about this whole mission. It's a feeling I can't shake. I felt the same way before Tristan and my parents died." She looked over and caught Sam's brown eyes with her own green eyes. He briefly caught a glimpse into her internal struggle but quick as a flash it was gone. Sam knew in that moment that she wouldn't know what to do if Dean got killed. It would destroy her.

"We're gonna keep him safe. That's our job and I think that overall we're damn good at it."

Sage nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her feelings were almost never wrong but Sam seemed so sure that everything was going to be okay she pushed it aside to the back of her mind. "We should meet with Meg and Castiel soon to figure out our plan for sure and get ready to make our move."

Once again Sage's transition from emotional girlfriend to serious hunter was remarkable. He couldn't believe she could just do that, switch off parts of herself so fast and focus on other parts. He nodded at her. "We'll summon them when we get back to the cabin tomorrow. Are you really ready to do this?"

"I'm ready. Let's go get us some Dick."


	19. What will she do now?

It was early when the group set out for the big takedown. The sun was barely up when they parked a couple blocks away to make sure everyone was clear on the plan. Dean opened the weapons cache in the trunk of the Impala as Sage, Sam, Meg, and Cas stood around him. The boys were dressed in their usual jeans and flannels over plain t-shirts and jackets over that. Dean held onto their weapon for taking down the Leviathan leader but he also carried his sawed off just in case. Sam grabbed a shotgun, a handgun, and a flask full of ammonia. He was relaying on Sage if it came to hand to hand combat since she was more skilled at it than he was. She was also packing an entire arsenal. She had her machine gun strapped across her back. She had one hand gun on each hip, a large machete in a sheath tucked under her clothes and strapped to her back. She also had another, smaller knife tucked into her boot on either side. She wasn't taking any chances. Not this time. She was also the one currently in possession of Ruby's demon killing knife. Unlike the boys, she didn't choose her usual attire. For this hunt she was wearing black skinny jeans that hugged her lower body but they also contained spandex which made moving easier. On her torso was a plain black tank top which hugged her body underneath her black leather jacket. Instead of her wedge heel boots, she was wearing regular black combat boots and her long black and purple hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail to keep it all away from her face. She was also wearing black makeup to add to the whole effect. She looked like the assassin she was underneath all the hunting. Cas and Meg looked pretty much the same way they always did.

Dean tossed Meg the keys to the Impala reluctantly but he knew she needed it to make the distraction that would allow the rest of them to get inside the building. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Of course. I have driven before. You just make sure to get that bastard cause I could get dragged down if Crowley found out I was a part of this."

Sage was the one who nodded at this. "Trust me, we'll get him." There was a fire that lit up her green eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Let's get this over with." Sam and Cas said at almost the same time.

Dean slammed the trunk closed and started to move off towards the building. Meg turned and grabbed Cas by the shoulders and kissed him hard before climbing into the car and getting ready. Everyone was shocked by her gesture but no one stopped to question it.

Sage reached forward and grabbed the sleeve of Dean's jacket before they could get too far. He turned and reached for her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her as if it was the last kiss they'd ever share. "I love you."

"Don't get yourself killed Dean." She whispered in return. "Cause you know I love you too."

"I promise I'll see you when this is all over." He laid a hand on the back of her neck and leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Be careful."

She nodded and swallowed the lump of uneasiness in her throat. "Always."

He gave her a small smile before he squeezed her hand and jogged off after Cas which was the opposite direction that Sage ran to Sam.

Sam took her hand and squeezed it just as Dean had. "Are you okay?"

She gave him a smile. "I'm gonna have to be. We've got some nasty bastards to take care of."

"Let's go. We'll start with this side and converge with them in the middle and hope somebody got lucky and found him."

Sage nodded as she slowly opened the door in front of them and peaked inside to see no one there in the gloom. "It's clear. Let's go."

It seemed like hours before Sage and Sam finally found the real Dick Roman and Cas and Dean. It was in one of the labs. Sage and Sam had to fight through a lot of Dick Roman look alikes and other Leviathan to get to this point and it was safe to assume that by the rumpled appearance of the others, they had too.

When they finally found the room, they were undetected but Dick Roman had Dean by the throat and the weapon was nowhere to be found. "Dea-" Sage started to call out before Sam clamped a strong hand over her mouth.

"Shush. Look there." Sage's eyes followed where Sam's finger was pointing and she saw Cas come out from behind his hiding spot with the sharpened bone weapon in his hand. Whatever the Leviathan leader was saying to Dean was unintelligible from where the pair stood, hidden from view by the doorway.

Cas snuck up behind Roman and plunged the bone deep into his neck causing him to release Dean who managed to choke out, 'go to hell!' There was a bright flash that temporarily blinded the onlookers and filled the entire room with a light brighter than anything that had ever been witnessed before. Sam instantly pushed Sage to the ground and shielded her with his own body. A few minutes passed before they were able to move from their position on the floor and start to regain their vision. The first thing that Sage noticed was that the room was empty.

She dashed to her feet and ran into the room before Sam could stop her. "Sage, no!" He yelled but he stopped right behind her when he came into the room, it was empty.

"Sam…" She whispered. "What happened? Where are they?" Her voice was soft and broken, starting to crack.

Sam went to where they had been standing only minutes ago and the only thing he found was their weapon, the bone. "They couldn't have left. I don't understand." Sam spoke mostly to himself.

"Dean…" Sage whispered. By now she had fallen to her knees on the floor of the lab. "DEAN!" She screamed this time. Her cries of pain were greeted by silence and the echo of her own scream. She couldn't hold back her emotions or her tears anymore and they came flooding out of her in one giant rush. Her small body started shaking violently as she was wrecked by sobbing. It was the worst sound that Sam had ever heard; she sounded completely and utterly heartbroken and he knew that she really was. The tears that streamed down her face were never ending or slowing. She was a heap on the floor, her face in her hands as she sat there and cried over losing Dean.

Sam didn't even think of how losing Dean was hurting him or what that would mean for their future, he didn't think about anything. He just reacted. He dropped down beside Sage and wrapped her up in his arms as she fell to pieces and cried into his shoulder. She pulled her arms around his chest and held on tight to him as if to tell him not to let go. "What happened to him?" She whispered between her tears.

Sam sighed softly. "I wish I could tell you because I honestly don't know. He's just gone."

"What are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna get out of here and we're gonna go home." He told her, starting to stand up and pick her up as he did so. She was still shaking and she was in no condition to walk on her own. "We'll figure it out when we get home."

Sage was silent as Sam carried her outside and set her in the car and she was silent the entire way home. She never stopped crying, although she did stop sobbing and her tears became silent as she looked absently out the window. Sam didn't know what was worse, her sobbing or her silent tears. They both displayed a level of brokenness he'd have seen in anyone before. As soon as they got home, Sage went straight to the bedroom that she shared with Dean and changed her clothes. She wiped off all of her makeup and took down her hair. She put all of her weapons on the dresser and put on one of Dean's t-shirts and a pair of his sweatpants. She had to feel close to him and his clothes and car were all she really had.

She went back into the main part of the house and knocked on Sam's bedroom door. Sam opened the door for her slowly and she came into the room and sat down on his bed. Sam hadn't changed yet or done anything but Sage could tell he had allowed himself some time to cry.

"I loved him Sam. I always will." She put her hands in her lap and starred at the floor as Sam sat down beside her.

"He loved you. More than you ever knew. He would have married you Sage, gotten out of the life for you if that's what you would have wanted. He was actually happy, saw some sort of a future with you even if it included hunting. No one other woman could or had ever done what you did to him or made him feel what you made him feel." Sam knew that he had to tell her all of the things that his older brother had told him in confidence. He would have wanted Sage to know if he knew he was going to die.

"He would have married me? Dean Winchester would have quit hunting and married me?" Sage wiped more tears from her eyes and laid her head on Sam's shoulder, thankful that she wasn't alone again. She knew she wouldn't have gotten up off that lab floor and she would have died there if it wasn't for Sam.

"Yeah, he would have. He didn't want to lose you. But he also would have done anything it took to take out Dick Roman after what he did to you, including die."

"That's selfish. He never thought about what it would feel like for me to be left behind without him."

Sam knew how she felt. Dean had done the same thing to him when he made the deal to trade his soul for Sam's life and go to Hell after a year.

"At least he kind of told me goodbye. I should have known something was wrong when he kissed me like he did. He kissed me like it was the last time he ever would, like he wanted to leave me something to really remember him by." Sage was beginning to cry again as Sam held her and started to stroke her hair. "He promised that he'd see me again once this was over. He lied to me."

"That's the only time he lied to you. He knew that you had to go into there with a level head and you wouldn't if you knew that he might not come home. I know that it must have hurt him to lie to you and even more to say goodbye to you." Sam said to her, feeling her tears wet his shoulder through his t-shirt. "Sage, I hate to ask this after what happened today but I do have to know, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna stay here and continue hunting or quit the life and settle down somewhere? Go home maybe?"

"I don't have a home Sam. My home is here. I can't settle down. I've never been about that and I definitely can't now, not without Dean. I'll go on hunting. It's all I know and it's what I'm good at."

Sam nodded, still stroking her hair and trying to comfort her. "I don't know if I can. I'll leave soon, get a car, go settle down somewhere and get a real job, maybe find somebody. I wanted a life for Dean, I think he'd want that for me. I'm gonna get out."

Sage pulled her arms around Sam's waist and hugged him tight. "I'll miss you Sammy."

That was the first time that she had ever called him Sammy like Dean did and he actually didn't mind it. "I'll stay for a bit, until you're more stable and I figure out where I'm gonna go and what I'm gonna do. You'll still be able to reach me if you ever need to and I'll still hunt with you if you call but I can't do it as my life anymore."

"I understand. You deserve it Sam, I just can't do it. Besides, I need to find a way to save Dean and get him back from wherever he is. I won't give up on him."

"He sure did find a winner in you. If you ever feel like you can't do it anymore than come find me. You'll always be welcome. You're family now. You can keep the Impala when I leave. Dean would want you to have it. I'll pick something up along the way."

Sage looked up from her lap and met his brown eyes with her own green ones. She didn't try to hide all the emotion and all the pain that swam in her piercing irises, she let Sam see right into her heart and soul. "Thank you."

"Are you sure that you're gonna be okay after I leave?" He asked, he noticed that her eyes were still wet but she wasn't crying at the moment. Although he figured she would break down and begin balling her eyes out again once she went back to her own room to go to bed alone like she would for most likely the rest of her life. As much as Sam wanted to leave and settle down with his own life and no more hunting, he wouldn't leave Sage by herself unless he was sure she could handle being on her own without Dean. He knew she was strong but she just lost her soulmate and her other half. He highly doubted her emotional stability.

"I'll have to be. I'll keep myself busy. I have to find Dean. I promise that I'll call you if I ever need to or if I just want to talk. And I won't hunt, not until I'm sure I can handle it. I won't go putting myself in a bad situation." She mumbled, her words trailing off at the end as she thought back to the first night she met Dean and how far they'd come in all the time since then.

Sage didn't know it at the time but that's where Sam's mind was too, back at that first night they all met. "I don't want you to stick around just for me when you could be starting a real life for yourself somewhere else. This is my life, but it doesn't have to be yours. Leave Sam. Go make yourself a home somewhere far away from here, find a beautiful woman to marry and have kids, finish school and become a lawyer. Don't stick around and be miserable any longer because you wanna check on me. I'll be okay Sammy. I'm strong and resilient and I know I always have a true family in you whenever I need you." She offered him the best smile that she could under the circumstances. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Let me take you tomorrow to find you a car and then we'll part for awhile and you can start your new life."

Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't completely stunned at the way she was handling everything and her stony resolve. He knew she was breaking inside but wouldn't show it, not unless she knew she was alone. She wasn't gonna allow herself to hold Sam back from having a real life anymore. He couldn't do anything but nod. "I'd like that."

Sage nodded in return, her hair bouncing as she moved her head. "Then I'll see you in the morning." She stood to go, not quite ready to be alone in the bed that her and Dean had shared for too short a time but not wanting to bother Sam in his time of mourning either. "Goodnight Sam." She kissed his cheek and left the room as silently as she could hearing him tell her goodnight as she closed the door behind her and leaned against.

The broken female hunter took a couple deep breaths and closed her eyes before she padded softly down the hallway in baggy cloths that still smelled strongly of the late Dean Winchester. With a shaking hand she opened the wooden door, her vision already blurred from the tears that hadn't quite fallen yet. She closed the door behind her and turned the lock ensuring her privacy. She slowly walked to the bed on shaking legs that threatened to give out on her at any time. Upon laying down on the bed, her dam burst and hot tears fell down her soft cheeks and landed on the comforter of the bed all piled in a heap. Her sobs were just as they had been in the lab upon realizing that Dean was gone, they were torn from the very core of her soul.

Dean was all over the room but he was also nowhere. His scent had soaked into the sheets of their bed and all of his clothes which were thrown all over the room much like hers. He had weapons in the room and he slept with a handgun under his pillow like she did. His old brown leather jacket which was well worn like her own black one was hanging on the back of a chair they had their room. She decided that now instead of her own, she would mostly wear his as a tribute to him.

Sage wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and reached out to grab the picture frame that sat on the bedside table. It was a simple picture that Sam had taken of them one day while they were messing around having target practice in the woods that surrounded their cabin. Sage had jumped onto Dean's back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders for a piggy back ride. When Sam caught them for the picture Sage was laughing and had the most gorgeous smile that had ever been captured on film and the smile on Dean's face was real because he was laughing too. Sage's bright eyes sparkled and Dean's shone as he looked back at her as best he could. He had his arms around his back to hold her up. Of course he was wearing his usual leather jacket with a plain dark green t-shirt underneath and a pair of jeans. Sage was dressed in a crimson tank top with her leather jacket over the top and a pair of distressed jeans with her combat boots. Her long black hair hung free in wild waves and her purple shown through quite brightly. They were so happy in that snapshot of time. She couldn't help but smile at the photograph. It was one of the few that existed of the two of them.

There was another picture on the other table as well. Sage grabbed that one too and set the one in front of her in the bed. The other picture was of all 3 of them. This one was taken by the girl they met when they were on the case of the angry ghost being controlled by the angry artist. It was the 3 hunters standing in front of the Impala sometime before they left. Sage stood in the center wearing black distressed skinny jeans with her black wedge heel boots over the top of them and a white tank top underneath her leather jacket. Her long hair was pulled back into a high tight ponytail which made her look quite fierce in combination with her attire although the playful expression on her face was contradicting it. The boys stood on either side, Dean on her right and Sam on her left, both boys in jeans, tshirts, flannels, and jackets. Sage her arms around both of their waists and each Winchester had an arm across her shoulder. Dean and Sam had on their best smiles and Sage's looked as if it touched her eyes and lit up her whole face. In that moment, the three of them weren't hunters, they were just a group of friends taking a picture together and having fun. They had a lot of good, happy memories together. Sage unhooked the picture frame and pulled out the extra print of that picture and set it aside on the table to give to Sam when he left in the morning. She wanted to make sure that he remembered the good times and not just the bad.

She found that her tears had stopped for now and she got up from the bed and dug around the mess of stuff on the dresser looking for a pen. She picked up the picture she set aside for Sam and turned it over. On the back of the photograph she wrote 'Don't forget the good times Sam Winchester. I never will. You're my family and I love you. Don't ever be a stranger.' Then she signed her name, Sage, at the bottom and set it back on the table. Sage didn't know if she'd be able to sleep at all but she turned the lights off in the room and snuggled into bed amongst all of the sheets and pillows that smelled of Dean and she closed her eyes. Her grief knocked her out in seconds and she was out as if she hadn't slept in months.

When Sage finally awoke the next day, it was no longer morning, it was almost 2 in the afternoon. She yawned and stretched with a smile and reached across the bed to wake up Dean but she only felt more pillows and then she remembered, Dean was gone. She opened her eyes as the smile faded from her face. She felt empty. A lump formed in her throat but she swallowed it down, she wasn't gonna cry, not right now. Instead she got out of bed and dressed in black skinny jeans, a plain black tank top, and black combat boots. She dug through the draw next to the bed and pulled out two strips of black satin ribbon and tied one around each wrist which is something she did whenever she was in mourning. She also found the necklace that Dean always used to wear and she hooked it around her neck. She brushed back into a high tight ponytail and sighed at her appearance in the mirror. She looked put together but inside she was far from it. Sage took a deep breath to steady herself before opening the door and going into the kitchen to see if Sam was still home or if he left without a goodbye.

He was sitting at the table but instead of a cup full of coffee he had his hands wrapped around a bottle of beer. He looked up when Sage came into the room and handed her a bottle too, still cold.

"Thanks." She took it from him and took a long pull before sitting down across from him and pulling at the wrapper on the bottle.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Better than I thought I would. I guess the shock and the crying and the grief just knocked me out." She looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and met the pain in them. "What about you?"

"Terrible. Nightmares. I tossed and turned all night. I was hardly asleep for more than an hour at a time."

Sage frowned. "You could have woke me."

Sam shook his head. "I wouldn't have. I knew if you actually fell asleep that I should leave you like that. I'm sure the nightmares will come and leave you awake soon enough. They always do."

Sage said nothing as swirled the contents of her bottle and watched them spin in the glass. She knew all about the types of nightmares that Sam was talking about and she knew that they'd come and make her scared to sleep. "Have you decided where you're going to go yet?"

"Not yet. I was just gonna pick a direction and start driving until I found somewhere that fit me and I could settle down in. Are you sure you want me to go?"

"I'll miss you Sam, but you can't stick around for me when you could have a life out there somewhere that would really make you happy. I want you to go, but keep in touch with me okay?"

"I promise." He squeezed her hand. "You're family."

Sage smiled at him but it was the smile of the broken hearted. "Are you all ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Sage stood up from the table as Sam did and followed him to his room to help him carry his few bags out to the Impala so Sage could drive him into town to find a vehicle. They put his duffels in the backseat of the car and took his weapons out of the weapons cache in the back so he'd be prepared in case anything came up. Sage slid in behind the wheel and put on her aviators as she started the car and backed out of the driveway going towards town.

The ride was silent, both hunters' having their minds on too many different things to attempt conversation. Sage pulled over when they came across a simple black car with a for sale sign on it.

"I don't think this one will be missed much." Sage told him as she pulled to the car she was talking about.

Sam nodded. "It's perfect."

The pair got out of the Impala and walked over to the car in the yard. Sam jimmied the door open and found the spare key in the glove box. He popped the trunk and him and Sage tossed his bags into the back and slammed in shut.

"I guess this is goodbye for now." Sage said, her hands in her pockets as she rocked on her heels.

"For now." Sam replied.

"Here." Sage fished around her back pocket and produced the photograph of the two of them and Dean that she had signed and set aside for him the night before. "So you never forget us or the good times."

Sam took the photo and looked at it, thinking back to the time it was taken, before putting it into his back pocket with a mental note to buy a frame for it. His eyes teared up and so did Sage's.

"I'm never gonna forget." Sam grabbed the small woman and pulled her into a tight hug and she hugged him back just as tight.

She pulled away after a moment. "You should go before someone comes back and notices the car is gone. Start your new life."

Sam nodded. "Goodbye Sage. I'll keep in contact."

She smiled softly and grabbed his hand and leaned up and kissed him lightly. "Goodbye Sammy." She squeezed his hand before dropping and walking back to the Impala and climbing to drive home.

She watched Sam drive off in the opposite direction until the small black car was no longer visible in her rearview mirror.


End file.
